American Heroes  

Date / Time: 6/23/2009 12:45 AM UTC

Forensic Investigator

On July 24, 2009, Conversations with American Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with Esther McKay, a former Detective Senior Constable and Forensic Investigator with the New South Wales Police Force (Australia).

Program Date: July 24, 2009

Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific

Topic: Forensic Investigator

Listen Live:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/07/25/Forensic-Investigator

About the Guest

Esther Mckay served seventeen years in the New South Wales Police Force, attaining the rank of Detective (technical) Senior Constable. She worked in the area of Forensic Services for fifteen years, attaining expert status in crime scene examination and vehicle identification. She also worked in Training and Research, as well as Document Examination. She has a Diploma of Applied Science in Forensic Investigation (NSW Police), and was awarded the National Medal for service in 2001 and the Ethical and Diligent Police Service medal with fifteen-year clasp in 2008.

Esther Mckay was discharged from the force in 2001 with post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of her forensic work. Her best-selling autobiography, Crime Scene: True Stories from the Life of a Forensic Investigator.

Esther Mckay works actively in supporting traumatized serving and former Police and is the President of the Police Post Trauma Support Group. She was awarded the Pride of Australia Medal in 2007 for Community Spirit for her work with traumatized Police, and regularly speaks to various groups and schools about her life experience, writing and former forensic work.  Esther is patron of the Australian Missing Persons Register and has been an Australia Day Ambassador since 2007. She lives in the Southern Highlands with her husband and two children.

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is Police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in Law Enforcement, public policy, Public Safety Technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in Law Enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/07/25/Forensic-Investigator

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

• Tags:
• forensic
• ether mckay
• crime scene
• police
• criminal justice

Date / Time: 6/19/2009 1:41 AM UTC

Automatic License Plate Recognition

Automatic License Plate Recognition

Dennis J. Lau

In an era of increasing threats to public safety and shrinking city budgets, judicious application of modern technologies are a force multiplier for police agencies who need to do more with less. Automatic License Plate Recognition  (ALPR) is a case in point. ALPR uses cameras to capture digital images of license plates, then a computer to convert plate image into alphanumeric characters. That information, also referred to as “plate code”, can then be stored in a database and compared to other databases.

READ ON

http://www.police-technology.net/automatic_license_plate_recognition.html

Date / Time: 6/19/2009 1:41 AM UTC

Red Team “Two sides to every Story”

Red Team “Two sides to every Story”

By Lieutenant Colonel John Nelson, USA

Three years ago, I was one of the first graduates of the Red Team School at the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies (UFMCS), located at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. The Red Teaming course is relatively new to the Army, but the concept of an advisor to the commanding general has been around since the time of Napoleon. The concept of the Red Team requires members to see through multiple lenses; in the case of Iraq, looking at a situation from the perspective of the people or the Government of Iraq, as well as the enemy. The role has been effectively used in both government and business, but until recently, the Army had no doctrine or recognized education available to implement the capability in its operational and strategic units.

READ ON

www.military-writers.com/articles/red_team.html

Date / Time: 6/19/2009 1:40 AM UTC

Defining Leadership: Trying to Understand

Defining Leadership:  Trying to Understand

By Darnell E. Patton, GySgt/USMC

You can ask ten different people what their definition of leadership is and you will probably get ten different answers.  Leadership doesn’t have a specific definition.  By giving it a definition, you are putting restrictions and limitations on the word and the true value of leadership.  Leadership is something that is complicated to explain and understand.  It is formless; it doesn’t take on a particular shape or form, nor does it go in one particular direction. A great leader can adjust to any situation at any given time, under any circumstance, and still come out successful.

READ ON

http://www.pokerleadership.com/defining_leadership_patton.html

• Tags:
• defining leadership
• leadership
• usmc

Date / Time: 6/19/2009 1:39 AM UTC

The History of Policing

The History of Policing

From 2600 BCE to modern times, there have been some interesting developments in law enforcement.  This downloadable document takes a concise, yet thorough, look at the development of American law enforcement.

READ ON

www.police-writers.com/articles/history_of_policing.html

• Tags:
• history of policing
• law enforcement
• american law enforce

Original Air Date: 6/13/2009 4:00 AM UTC

How to Undress a Cop

On June 12, 2009, Conversations with Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion with author Sarah Cortez and Liz Martínez. Sarah Cortez has been in law enforcement since 1993. During her career she has worked as a patrol officer, field training officer and sexual assault investigator. After her writing career began, she continued in law enforcement as a reserve police officer and been assigned as a juvenile bailiff, worked undercover during alcohol stings and assisted with the service civil processes. Sarah Cortez is the author of How to Undress a Cop: Poems and a coauthor/editor of Hit List: The Best of Latino Mystery. Liz Martínez’ short stories have appeared in the anthologies Manhattan Noir, Queens Noir, and Cop Tales 2000, and in publications including COMBAT: the Literary Expression of Battlefield Touchstones and Police Officer’s Quarterly. Her short story “Kris Kringle” was Orchard Press Mystery’s Christmas 2000 feature. She is also the author of the non-fiction book The Retail Manager’s Guide to Crime and Loss Prevention, and her articles about security and law enforcement have appeared in publications around the world. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers, and the Public Safety Writers Association. She and Sarah Cortez are also co-editors of the anthology Indian Country Noir from Akashic Books (Brooklyn).

• Tags:
• sarah cortez
• liz martinez
• american heroes
• law enforcement
• police officer