Chicago is one of the most diverse cities in the country and, in spite of this, remains among the nation’s most segregated. Serving the community poses some unique challenges for the Chicago, Illinois Police Department. There are constant demands to address crime and disorder—made more complicated by a strong group of elected aldermen that jealously guard how city services are delivered in their wards.
Over the past 30 years, researchers and professionals in a variety of human services and animal welfare disciplines have established significant correlations between animal abuse, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence, elder abuse, and other forms of violence. Mistreating animals is no longer seen as an isolated incident that can be ignored; it is often an indicator or predictor of crime and a “red flag” warning sign that other family members in the household may not be safe.
For the overwhelming majority of people in federal and state prisons who will eventually reenter the community, finding employment plays a critical role in preventing recidivism. That said, it is not strictly job placement services that can make the difference between reincarceration and successful reentry; ensuring people who are returning to communities from incarceration have the skills to not only find, but also retain, jobs is also key.
Whether implementing a regional or agencywide preventive crime gun strategy, the establishment of formal policies is a critical factor that must be addressed. These policies can be wide-ranging in scope, affecting entire local, regional, or national populations, and they can be narrow in scope, affecting only a single organization. For example, at least three states now have laws mandating that all police agencies in the state utilize the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) when investigating firearm-related crimes.
With advanced technology, law enforcement agencies benefit from the ability to be at the right place at the right time — and with the right tools to enable critical communications so law enforcement officers have the real-time information they need. With the capabilities of smart sensors, smart surveillance, license plate readers and recorders, and the ability to readily push this data to headquarters and responding emergency workers, the system can be advanced to reach vast capabilities in the detection, determination, and deterrence of criminal activity.
This is the third in a 4-part webinar series on defining, implementing, and managing a cold case unit. Building off of the past two webinars, “What is a Cold Case and How They are Solved?” and “Forming a Cold Case Unit and Managing Expectations” seasoned investigator, Jason Moran will discuss cold case solvability and present different scientific techniques and tools that officers at all levels should be aware of and can apply to cold case investigations.