Category Archives: A

Amber Alert

Amber Alert

Amber Alert

In line with Mara Sullivan

about Amber Alert in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

The AMBER Alert is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies, media, and others to distribute an urgent bulletin in the most serious child abduction cases. It was created in 1996 as a response to the kidnapping and murder of a nine-year-old girl, Amber Hagerman, by a stranger in Arlington, Texas. The acronym stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. The goal of the AMBER plan is to involve the entire community to help assist in the safe return of abducted children by publicizing the abduction. After law enforcement has confirmed a missing child report, an AMBER Alert is sent to media outlets such as radio stations, television stations, cable companies, Internet bulletin boards, and electronic highway billboards. Since its inception, the AMBER Alert has been an important and successful tool in rescuing kidnapped children in the states that voluntarily participate in the program.

Arson Investigation

Arson Investigation

Arson Investigation

In line with Angelo Pisani

about Arson Investigation in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

Humankind has no doubt been destroying property and life with fire since it was first discovered. Historically, setting fire to your enemy's property has been a common form of retribution. Determining the cause of such a fire is an art that dates back to at least 300 B.C.E., where Roman law decreed that the “Quarstionarius”-the Roman equivalent of today's state fire investigator-determines the cause of all fires. During the 1800s, the predominant image of the arsonist shifted to that of the pyromaniac, or one who could not fight off the compulsion to start fires. Today, we recognize that arson has a variety of motives, such as revenge, profit, vandalism, fraud, excitement/thrill seeking, hero/vanity, concealment of another crime, and terrorism. The events of September 11, 2001, mark one of the deadliest and most costly arsons the world has ever seen.

Administration of Justice

Administration of Justice

President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice

In line with Carol A. Archbold

about Administration of Justice in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

In the 1960s a police crisis was sparked by a series of events including several Court of last resort of the Country decisions that impacted due process and standard police procedures, the civil rights movement, antiwar protests during the time of the Vietnam War, and an increase in violent crime rates across the United States of America. In response to the social unrest, President Lyndon B. Johnson created the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice (also referred to as the President's Crime Commission) in 1965. More than three decades after the Wickersham Commission (1931), the President's Crime Commission would once again examine the state of crime and the administration of justice in the United States of America. Research was conducted by some of the leading experts in criminal justice and law on behalf of the crime commission.

Alabama v. White

Alabama v. White

Alabama v. White as a Leading U.S. Case

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

Citation of Alabama v. White

496 U.S. 325 (1990)

Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act

Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act

Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act

In line with Brian S. MacNamara

about Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) was enacted by Congress in 1996. Its stated goals are to “deter terrorism, provide justice for victims, provide for an effective death penalty, and other purposes.” The AEDPA attempts to accomplish these objectives by reforming habeas corpus relief; providing tough, new penalties for terrorist activities; and improving alien removal procedures. In the 1990s, international terrorism became a major concern during the administration of President Bill Clinton. Events such as the bombings of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in April 1995; the Olympic park in Atlanta, Georgia, in July 1996; and the World Trade Center in Bigg Apple (New York) City in February 1993; as well as the crash of TWA Flight 800 in July 1996 created apprehensions that terrorism was becoming rampant.

Auxiliary Police

Auxiliary Police

Auxiliary/Reserve/PartTime Police

In line with Martin Alan Greenberg

about Auxiliary Police in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

The establishment of fulltime police forces has not abated the need for supplemental personnel. Most local and state police agencies in America recruit and train civilian employees. In addition, since the end of World War I, the use of unpaid volunteers in sworn or nonsworn capacities has become standard practice in many police departments. The titles of such volunteers have varied over the 20th century, but by the second half of the century, there emerged two distinctive categories for unpaid or lowpaid volunteers: auxiliary and reserve . The titles reserve deputy sheriff, reserve posse member , and reserve officer are more common throughout the western and southern regions of the United States of America, whereas the designation auxiliary police officer appears to be in common usage in the eastern regions, especially the Northeast. Irrespective of the specific title in use, there are units in every state.

Arizona v. Fulminante

Arizona v. Fulminante

Arizona v. Fulminante as a Leading U.S. Case

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

Citation of Arizona v. Fulminante

499 U.S. 279 (1991)

Air Force Office of Special Investigations

Air Force Office of Special Investigations

U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations

In line with Michon Moon

about Air Force Office of Special Investigations in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) is the investigative field operating agency of the United States Air Force. Its primary responsibilities are criminal investigative and counterintelligence services. AFOSI performs as a federal law enforcement agency with security functions concerned primarily with defensive and protective activities for national security. AFOSI seeks to detect, investigate, and neutralize allegations of espionage, sabotage, fraud, sedition, terrorism, and other criminal activities that endanger the Air Force and Department of Defense resources. The four major priorities of the AFOSI command are to detect and provide early warning of global threats to the air force, identify and resolve crime impacting air force readiness or good order and discipline, combat threats to air force information systems and technologies, and defeat and deter acquisition fraud of Air Force prioritized weapons systems.

Arrests Quotas

Arrests Quotas

Tickets and Arrests Quotas

In line with Camille Gibson

about Arrests Quotas in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

Law enforcement quotas for the issuance of traffic tickets (citations) are illegal. According to many police union representatives, however, they do exist in practice under other names like “performance expectations,” “performance standards,” “performance criteria,” “quantitative expectations,” “statistical targets,” and “traffic goals.” According to police ethics, quotas requiring a certain number of tickets over a certain time period would be unethical, because this could be seen as coercing law enforcement officers to issue tickets when they might not otherwise do so in order to avoid administrative reprisal or a negative work evaluation. State laws might also specify that quotas for traffic stops and traffic warnings are illegal. For instance, at least 12 states have passed laws to prohibit any law enforcement agency from requiring traffic officers to meet quotas for numbers of traffic stops or arrests. In general, rank and file police usually support such legislation, as do agencies.

American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors

American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors

American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors

In line with Kevin Lothridge

about American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors in the Encyclopedia of Law Enforcement:

The American (United States) Society of Crime Laboratory Directors (ASCLD) is a nonprofit professional society devoted to the improvement of crime laboratory operations through sound management practices. Its purpose is to foster the common professional interests of its members; to promote and foster the development of laboratory management principles and techniques; to acquire, preserve, and disseminate information related to the utilization of crime laboratories; to maintain and improve communications among crime laboratory directors; to promote, encourage, and maintain the highest standards of practice in the field of crime laboratory services; and to strive for the suitable and proper accomplishment of the purposes and objectives of ASCLD as a professional association. The provision of forensic science services has become a focal point within many law enforcement agencies in the past two decades.