Guilty plea in Maryland's first DNA cold hit case
When Maryland State Police received word in August 2000 of a cold hit DNA match from the national database for a 1989 sexual assault case it was the first such match in the state. The man subsequently charged with the crime recently entered an Alford plea to one count of a first-degree sex offense and will be sentenced in July. The cold hit occurred after the accused moved to Chicago in 2000 where he was required to register as a convicted sex offender because of a 1994 conviction in North Carolina for "taking indecent liberties with a child."
Source: "Man pleads guilty in sex offense from 1989; He was first to be charged in Md. based on DNA profile from database;" The Baltimore (MD) Sun, April 9, 2002, Pg. 2B
Vermont gets domestic preparedness grant
The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced a $758,000 grant to Vermont to improve the state’s preparedness to respond to biological, chemical, nuclear or radiological terrorism. The grant was awarded under the FY 2001 State Domestic Preparedness Equipment Program, administered by the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP). Funds allow "first responders" to terrorist events -- law enforcement, fire, EMS and hazmat response units -- to purchase specialized equipment
Source: "Vermont Receives $758,000 For Equipment To Respond To Terrorist Acts;" U.S. Newswire, April 19, 2002
S. Carolina gets grant for computer forensics center
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has received a $2.5 million U.S. Department of Justice grant to establish a computer forensics center. Sen. Strom Thurmond recently announced the grant, which he said would be used to improve the investigation of computer crimes across the state.
Source: "SLED gets grant for computer crimes center;" The Associated Press State & Local Wire, April 23, 2002
Corpus Christi (TX) Police use grants for technology
The Corpus Christi (Texas) Police Department has purchased equipment that will allow officers to file reports electronically from laptops in their vehicles, making the reporting process much more efficient. Officers currently prepare their reports by hand, with clerks later entering the reports online. The department also purchased computers that officers can use for continuing education. The computers and software were purchased with a $468,750 COPS MORE grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and $156,000 in required matching funds from the city.
Source: "CCPD is getting a technological boost; Changes include new video equipment and capacity to file reports via laptop" by Mary Moreno; Corpus Christi (TX) Caller-Times, April 20, 2002, Pg. B1
DNA cold hit made on Cleveland murder case
The Cleveland (Ohio) Police Department recently had their first DNA cold hit. Evidence collected at the murder of a 70-year-old woman during a burglary matched the profile of a parolee in the state’s database. The accused had been sentenced to 25 years in prison for aggravated burglary in 1987 and was paroled in 1996. The DNA database, maintained by Ohio's Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, includes samples from 36,000 felons.
Source: "DNA database match leads to murder arrest" by Mike Tobin; Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) April 19, 2002, Pg. B4
Passamaquoddy (ME) Tribal Police Web site
The Passamaquoddy Tribal Police Department was inspired by the anti-drug efforts of fellow Maine communities Calais and Brewer to set up a Web site for anonymous crime reporting. The Native Americans Against Drugs site allows people to report crimes without fear of retribution, and hopefully will lead to more crime tips from the public.
Source: "Passamaquoddies join online fight against drug use; Tribal police set up Internet site to allow fear-free crime reporting" by Diana Graettinger; Bangor (ME) Daily News, April 3, 2002, Pg. B3
