Florida Police Chiefs Association Update: Week Ending January 11, 2013

Jan 17, 2013

 

The following is an informational update on law enforcement news, events, legislative developments and meetings relating to the Florida Police Chiefs Association community for the week ending January 11, 2013.  Click on the hyperlinks in bold type to access all information.

Should you have any questions or comments, please contact Florida Police Chiefs Association lobbyists, Colodny Fass.

 

 

NEWS

 

THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA:  Stand Your Ground Repeal Bill Filed

Fighting Governor Rick Scott and the Republican-run Legislature over everything from guns and abortion to drug-testing and minority voting rights has become a full-time job for the American Civil Liberties Union.

 

New legal fight is brewing over police-fire pensions

Lawmakers are again working to overhaul how local police and firefighter pensions are bankrolled, allowing cities to use more money from a tax on insurance premiums to back up retirement systems that are in some cases badly underfunded.

 

State report:  Crashes down at intersections with cameras

Crashes are down across Florida at intersections equipped with red-light cameras, according to a new state report.

 

Prescription drug strike force carries on despite lack of direct funding

State law enforcement officials have pledged to continue the Statewide Drug Strike Force even though funding authority for the strike force ran out on Tuesday.

 

Blog:  Cops to step up enforcement of Move Over law

The Florida Highway Patrol says that since 1999, more than 170 U.S. law enforcement officers died and thousands more were injured in crashes because they were struck by motorists who would not get out of officers’ way while they worked roadside situations.

 

Blog:  Is homicide case precedent for restorative justice in Florida?

Restorative justice is a relatively new concept used in the criminal justice system. It is so new in fact, that few states offer the program as an option, and it is usually reserved for non-violent offenses such as burglary.

 

Hollywood police chief retiring, but some wish he would stick around

Police Chief Chad Wagner is on the way out – but some elected officials say they don’t want to see him go.

 

Hollywood searching internally for interim police chief

Hollywood commissioners questioned who will be the city’s next top cop and agreed to restore some benefits to its firefighters.

 

New police chief bringing a fresh start

Incoming Police Chief Bernadette DiPino joked with her soon-to-be staff and gushed over Barbies with a little girl in the aisles of Target recently, as the officers helped needy children choose presents.

 

Tequesta gets new chief; Norris set to announce interim police chief

West Monroe Mayor Dave Norris may announce an interim police chief Wednesday.

 

Naples police chief honored

Naples Police Chief Tom Weschler has been named 2012 Outstanding Law Enforcement Chief Executive of the Year by the Southwest Florida Police Chiefs Association.

 

Police chief shuffle possible once Israel takes office

The new sheriff could play a game of musical chairs with city police chiefs, but no one should be left standing.

 

Bill Davis, Gary Minium, retired police officers, die

Two respected South Florida police veterans with much in common died early in 2013: Gary Minium, who retired as a major from the Miami-Dade Police Department in 1993, and Bill Davis, who spent 27 years with the Miami Beach department then retired in 2004 from a federal task force.

 

Having police officer at school lessens stress for parents, kids

During Larry O’Neill’s long career at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, he has worked road patrol, solved crimes, and hunted down criminals wanted for armed burglary, molesting children, and breaking out of a prison.

 

City commissioner:  Add 100 officers to Miami Police Department, hold Ultra Music Festival to 1 weekend

Despite challenges to hiring, the Miami City Commission will debate a plan to grow its police department to 1,244 officers.

 

 

REPORTS


The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice:   Delinquency in Florida’s Schools — An Eight-Year Study

This report summarizes delinquency arrests received by the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) for offenses occurring on school grounds, a school bus (or bus stop), or at an official school event between Fiscal Year 2004-05 and Fiscal Year 2011-12. Delinquency arrests for school-related offenses declined 50% over the 8-year study period. While only representing 21% of the all youth ages 10-17 in Florida, black males and females accounted for almost half (47%) of all school-related arrests in Fiscal Year 2011-12. Drug and weapon offenses accounted for 27% of all school-related arrests whereas misdemeanors accounted for 67% of school-related arrests in Fiscal Year 2011-12. The most common school-related referral was for misdemeanor assault/battery accounting for 21% of all school-related referrals. Of youth referred from schools in Fiscal Year 2011-12, 29% were identified as Exceptional Student Education students. This is down 5% from the previous year.

 

Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice:  Women’s pathways to jail — The roles and intersections of serious mental illness and trauma

This multi-site study addressed critical gaps in the literature by assessing the prevalence of serious mental illness (SMI), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorders (SUD) in women in jail and pathways to offending for women with and without SMI. Using a randomly selected sample of 491 inmates from rural and urban jails, this study employed a structured diagnostic interview to assess current and lifetime prevalence of SMI (e.g., major depression, bipolar, and psychotic spectrum disorders), PTSD, and SUD in women in jail. Understanding female offenders’ pathways to offending, including both risk for onset and risk for continued offending, helps elucidate the complexity of their experiences and identify key factors and intervening variables that may ameliorate or exacerbate risk, which is important to the development of gender responsive programming, alternatives to incarceration, and problem-solving court initiatives.

 

The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University:  Addressing the Unmet Educational Needs of Children and Youth in the Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems

A good education is the foundation for successful life experiences. Children who receive quality education services, meet age-appropriate education milestones, and earn high school and post-secondary school diplomas have significantly brighter outcomes as adults. In addition to providing an avenue for employment, there is broad agreement that education opens doors and provides opportunities to enrich our lives.

 

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles:   Red Light Camera Program Analysis

As required by section 316.0083, Florida Statutes, directs the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) provided a summary report on the use of traffic infraction enforcement detectors (red light cameras) used to enforce red light violations. Seventy-three local agencies reported that there are 404 intersections with red light cameras installed. During the reporting period of July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, these agencies reported issuing 999,929 Notices of Violation. These agencies also reported that 20,064 Notices of Violation were challenged. Of those violations challenged, 14,065 (70%) were dismissed. Forty-three percent of agencies reported a reduction in side-impact crashes, 41% of the agencies surveyed experienced a reduction in rear-end crashes, while 56% of the agencies experienced a total reduction in crashes at red light camera intersections.


U.S. Government Accountability Office:  Total Extent of Refund Fraud Using Stolen Identities is Unknown

Understanding the extent and nature of identity theft-related refund fraud is important to crafting a response to it, but Internal Revenue Service (IRS) managers recognize that they do not have a complete picture. Program officials said that one of the challenges they face in combating this type of fraud is its changing nature and how it is concealed. While perfect knowledge about cases and who is committing the crime will never be attained, the better IRS understands the problem, the better it can respond and the better Congress can oversee IRS’s efforts. IRS officials described several areas where the extent and nature of identity theft is unknown.

 

REGULATORY UPDATE

 

The Florida Department of Corrections has proposed the following Rule 33-210.101:  Routine Mail.

The purpose and effect of the proposed Rule is clarifying the amount of enclosures an inmate may receive and possess and clarifying what types of packaging shall not be accepted by the Department.

To access the complete text of the proposed Rule, click here.