Monthly Archives: February 2015

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Leave a reply

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

U.S. Postal Inspection Service

In line with Dorothy Moses Schulz

about U.S. Postal Inspection Service in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

The United States Postal Inspection Service traces its history to 1772, when Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin created the position of surveyor to assist him in regulating and auditing postal functions. In 1801 the title was changed to special agent and in 1830 the investigative functions of the agents were centralized as the Office of Instructions and Mail Depredations even though the agents continued to be assigned to specific geographic areas of the country. They worked closely with stagecoach, steamboat, express, and railroad companies responsible for transporting the mail and also visited mail distributing centers and examined postal accounts for theft and fraud. From this small, decentralized force of agents, the United States Postal Inspection Service has grown to approximately 2,000 postal inspectors stationed throughout the country who enforce more than 200 federal laws covering investigations of crimes (there is more information about criminal law in the American Legal Encyclopedia and about crimes and criminals vocabulary) involving use of the United States mail and the postal system.

U.S. Police Canine Association, Inc.

Leave a reply

U.S. Police Canine Association, Inc.

U.S. Police Canine Association, Inc.

In line with Nicole R. Green

about U.S. Police Canine Association, Inc. in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

The United States Police Canine Association (USPCA) was founded in 1971 in Washington, D.C., when two existing organizations with similar values, the Police K-9 Association and the United States of America K-9 Association, united. The Police K-9 Association was originally known as the Florida Police K-9 Association but was renamed in 1968 in order to include other southeastern states. The United States of America K-9 Association, which was founded a few years after the Police K-9 Association's name-change, drew its membership from residents of the northeastern states. A short time after the inauguration of the United States of America K-9 Association, both organizations realized that strength would be gained by uniting. The USPCA established its National Executive Committee at the time of its creation. The committee is comprised of a national president and vice president, past national presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, and a board of trustees.

Michigan v. Jackson

Leave a reply

Michigan v. Jackson

Michigan v. Jackson as a Leading U.S. Case

Michigan v. Jackson is one of the leading United States Supreme Court decisions impacting law enforcement in the United States, and, in this regards, Michigan v. Jackson may be a case reference for attorneys and police officers. As a leading case, this entry about Michigan v. Jackson tries to include facts, relevant legal issues, and the Court's decision and reasoning. The significance of Michigan v. Jackson is also explained, together with the relevance of Michigan v. Jackson impact on citizens and law enforcement.

Citation of Michigan v. Jackson

475 U.S. 625 (1986)

Massiah v. United States

Leave a reply

Massiah v. United States

Massiah v. United States as a Leading U.S. Case

Massiah v. United States is one of the leading United States Supreme Court decisions impacting law enforcement in the United States, and, in this regards, Massiah v. United States may be a case reference for attorneys and police officers. As a leading case, this entry about Massiah v. United States tries to include facts, relevant legal issues, and the Court's decision and reasoning. The significance of Massiah v. United States is also explained, together with the relevance of Massiah v. United States impact on citizens and law enforcement.

Citation of Massiah v. United States

377 U.S. 201 (1964

Internet Fraud Complaint Center

Leave a reply

Internet Fraud Complaint Center

Internet Fraud Complaint Center

In line with Jacqueline D. Mege

about Internet Fraud Complaint Center in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC) was created in May 2000 as a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). The IFCC is a federally funded, not-for-profit organization, based in Morgantown, West Virginia. At its inception the IFCC staff consisted of 12 FBI agents and 25 employees of the NW3C, with an annual budget of $12 million. In February 2002, the IFCC was the recipient of the Excellence in Government Award, which is an award given to federal government agencies that have demonstrated innovative electronic government initiatives. The IFCC's primary function is to act as a clearinghouse for Internet fraud complaints filed by victims. Because a victim of Internet fraud often does not know where to file a complaint, the IFCC centralizes this function and disseminates complaints to the proper jurisdictional authority.

Hate Crimes

Leave a reply

Hate Crimes

Hate Crimes

In line with Brian S. MacNamara

about Hate Crimes in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

Hate crimes (there is more information about criminal law in the American Legal Encyclopedia and about crimes and criminals vocabulary) are defined as those criminal acts in which the perpetrator was motivated by bias against the victim based on the victim's religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. Criminal acts motivated by hatred are not new: the Romans persecuted Christians, the Nazis committed crimes (there is more information about criminal law in the American Legal Encyclopedia and about crimes and criminals vocabulary) primarily against Jews but also against Gypsies and other religious or ethnic minorities, and acts against African Americans due solely to their skin color have been a common occurrence in the United States of America from colonial times and continue, to a far lesser extent, to the present. A resurgent interest in bias-motivated crimes (there is more information about criminal law in the American Legal Encyclopedia and about crimes and criminals vocabulary) began in the 1980s.

Law Enforcement Response to Hate Crimes

In line with Christopher D. Maxwell

about Hate Crimes in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

crimes (there is more information about criminal law in the American Legal Encyclopedia and about crimes and criminals vocabulary) motivated by one's hatred toward another's race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or other innate characteristics are unilaterally condemned by Western societies as unjustified attacks. Although such crimes (there is more information about criminal law in the American Legal Encyclopedia and about crimes and criminals vocabulary) have existed for centuries, it was not until the 1980s that they gained recognition as a special type of criminal offense. Today, these crimes (there is more information about criminal law in the American Legal Encyclopedia and about crimes and criminals vocabulary) are labeled in federal and state statutes, and in local law enforcement policies, as hate- or bias-motivated crimes (there is more information about criminal law in the American Legal Encyclopedia and about crimes and criminals vocabulary). James Garofalo and Susan Martin identify three reasons that there is special focus on hate crimes (there is more information about criminal law in the American Legal Encyclopedia and about crimes and criminals vocabulary). First, because hate crime offenders target innate characteristics of a group, victims may have greater difficulty in coming to terms with their victimization. Second, some hate crimes (there is more information about criminal law in the American Legal Encyclopedia and about crimes and criminals vocabulary) appear to have contagious effects on the victim's community.

Fugitive Felon Act

Leave a reply

Fugitive Felon Act

Fugitive Felon Act

In line with Nancy Egan

about Fugitive Felon Act in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

Fugitive felon legislation was introduced into the United States Congress in 1934 as part of a package of bills designed to give the federal government power to aid states in addressing the activities of criminal gangs. The Fugitive Felon Act (18 United StatesC. 1073, 1074), considered a major part of this antigangster legislation, made it a federal offense to flee a state to avoid prosecution for committing a felony or to avoid giving testimony in a criminal proceeding. Enforcing the act was and remains the responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The criminal gang problem in the country at the time was extensive enough for one of the bill's supporters to note that there were more armed gangsters in the country than armed forces. In addition, interstate flight problems were increasing as methods of transportation became more readily accessible.

DNA

Leave a reply

DNA

DNA

In line with Lawrence Kobilinsky

about DNA in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

Although the discovery of DNA dates back to 1869 with Frederich Miescher's study of a phosphorus-containing substance isolated from the nuclei of cells found in discarded bandages of wounded soldiers, it was not until 1953 that Watson and Crick published its molecular structure. Many studies since then have established that DNA is the material responsible, in part, for the inheritance of virtually all of our traits. Exceptions to this rule include one's fingerprint (ridge) pattern, which is established during the third to fourth month of fetal development. The discovery that DNA is actually an antiparallel double helix helped to explain why this unique molecule, with the assistance of “helper” molecules, is able to replicate within the cell.

National DNA Index System

In line with Peter D' Eustachio

about DNA in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

DNA typing has been widely implemented over the past 15 years as a tool for associating human body fluids and tissue fragments recovered at a crime scene with the individuals involved in the crime. A person's DNA typing pattern is the same for all cells and tissues in the person's body and does not change with time. DNA typing can therefore be used not only to determine whether a suspect's known DNA typing pattern matches that of semen recovered from a particular rape victim, but also to determine whether a convicted rapist's known DNA typing pattern matches that of semen recovered in connection with various unsolved sexual assaults. In the United States of America, a National DNA Index System (NDIS) has been established, under the auspices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to facilitate this broad investigative use of DNA typing.

Department of Justice

Leave a reply

Department of Justice

Department of Justice

In line with Katherine M. Newbold

about Department of Justice in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

The Department of Justice (DOJ), an agency of the judiciary branch of the federal government, is headed by the United States attorney general (AG), who reports directly to the president of the United States of America and is a cabinet-level officer. The mission of the DOJ has expanded considerably since its creation, and now includes, To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States of America according to the law; to ensure public safety against the threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; administer and enforce the nation's immigration laws fairly and effectively; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans. DOJ is similar to a major law firm with divisions of attorneys with identified areas of expertise.

Crime Statistics

Leave a reply

Crime Statistics

Crime Statistics

In line with Matthew J. Giblin

about Crime Statistics in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

Accurate measures of crime are valuable for many reasons; they aid in the formulation of criminal justice policy, in the assessment and operations of criminal justice agencies, in the creation of prevention and intervention programs, and in the development of criminological theory. Two long-established federal data collection programs, the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) begun in 1929 and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS; formerly the National Crime Survey) begun in 1973, have been, and continue to be, used to measure levels of crime in the United States of America. Each program is characterized by strengths and weaknesses. A third, emerging data collection program, the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), when fully operational, will draw upon and merge many of the elements from both the NCVS and the UCR into a single data collection program. The UCR is a summary reporting program overseen by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Crime Statistics and Analysis

In line with Peter K. Manning

about Crime Statistics in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

To understand the meaning of crime statistics, one must first define crime. Crime is a very flexible concept, something like a woven carpet, that produces powerful associations from the public and agencies charged with its control. It varies cross-culturally, historically, and spatially, as well as by social morphology and cultural and social differentiation. Since Adolphe Quetelet first advocated that social order could be captured metaphorically by numbers, and the regularity and stability associated with large numbers, commensurability has been sought across measures and numbers have been used to represent social trends. Official crime data, like official statistics generally, are associated with the development of the nation-state and its need to tax and count its citizens. They appear to function differentially in Anglo-American (United States) societies and European states.