This month marks the 25th anniversary of the mass shooting that took place at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. In addition to the upcoming Museum program, "Picking Up the Pieces: How Law Enforcement and Communities Rebuild After Mass Casualty Events" (link below to register), we at Precinct 444 decided to release a Lifeline-focused episode about mass shooter incidents. Lifeline is all about providing a holistic wellness approach focused on supporting American law enforcement, and in this instance, educate the public on mass shooter situations (link below).On this episode, Matt Garcia, Deputy Director of OSW Programs and retired Lieutenant with the Connecticut State Police, hosts Supervisory Special Agent, John Skillestad with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to discuss the evolution of mass shooter safety and training developed in law enforcement. They also analyze the effects of this new training (ALERT) from a tactical perspective and the peer support offered to law enforcement following these types of incidents.You won't want to miss this episode and be sure to register for the upcoming Museum program!ResourcesUpcoming Museum program, "Picking Up the Pieces"FBI Active Shooter Safety Resourceshttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

25 years ago, the world watched as two armed students killed 12 of their classmates and one teacher at Columbine High School and ushered a society out of an age of innocence. In the quarter of a century since the tragedy, Columbine has remained at the forefront of many conversations, informing decisions about law enforcement responses to active shooter incidents, and public concerns for the mental health of our youth. In this month's episode of Law and Disorder, we examine the reasons why we continue to talk about Columbine, both in the Law Enforcement field and as a society, and illuminate why the lessons of Columbine continue to matter.Register for Picking Up the Pieces, a program about how law enforcement and communities rebuild after mass casualty events.https://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

For over 14 months, the DEA tracked a fishing boat belonging to the kingpin of the Tijuana Cartel. The boat, named the “Dock Holiday,” was often sailed off the Mexican coast until finally, in August of 2006, the boat sailed into international waters and was intercepted by the United States Coast Guard. The kingpin was captured and DEA agents were able to take down one of Mexico’s most notorious drug cartels. The surveillance of the boat was part of an investigation of the Tijuana Cartel known as “Operation Shadow Game.”  On display at the museum, you can see a life ring from the Dock Holiday, which is on loan from the DEA’s collection, in the History Time Capsule exhibit. Originally hosted in 2016, the National Law Enforcement Museum hosted a program titled “Operation Shadow Game” which discussed the investigation of the Tijuana Cartel with DEA Agents and members of the California Department of Justice who collaborated on the investigation.Part 2 of this series starts with a look into the local gangs of San Diego and how they were central to the Tijuana Cartel's movements and success. One agent also talks about the importance of developing a relationship with Mexican law enforcement officials, since the United States had no jurisdiction and could not make arrests without their assistance. Lastly, the agents cover one of the biggest hurdles of the investigation: corruption in Mexico and difficult it was to overcome and out maneuver. The third and final part will air next Wednesday, December 13th. Featuring:Opening RemarksCraig Floyd, Former CEO of the NLEOMF ModeratorDr. Nathan Jones, Associate Professor, Sam Houston State UniversityPanelists:Juan Martinez, Special Agent, Drug Enforcement AdministrationAl Hargrove, Special Agent, Drug Enforcement AdministrationManuel Castañón, Special Agent, Drug Enforcement AdministrationSteve Duncan, California Department of Justicehttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

For over 14 months, the DEA tracked a fishing boat belonging to the kingpin of the Tijuana Cartel. The boat, named the “Dock Holiday,” was often sailed off the Mexican coast until finally, in August of 2006, the boat sailed into international waters and was intercepted by the United States Coast Guard. The kingpin was captured and DEA agents were able to take down one of Mexico’s most notorious drug cartels. The surveillance of the boat was part of an investigation of the Tijuana Cartel known as “Operation Shadow Game.”  On display at the museum, you can see a life ring from the Dock Holiday, which is on loan from the DEA’s collection, in the History Time Capsule exhibit. Originally hosted in 2016, the National Law Enforcement Museum hosted a program titled “Operation Shadow Game” which discussed the investigation of the Tijuana Cartel with DEA Agents and members of the California Department of Justice who collaborated on the investigation.Part 3 concludes this series and begins with the background of an earlier investigation called “Operation United Eagles”, which focused on specific targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets or CPOT, a multi-agency list of some of the most prolific individuals involved in drug smuggling organizations. Following this discussion, is a Q&A with the live audience from the program.Next Wednesday, December 20th, we have special guest, Andrew Whiting, the Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer with MissionSquare Financial, the exclusive sponsor of the Memorial Fund’s Ambassador programs, sits down to talk about the importance of financial planning as it pertains to those in public service. Featuring:Opening RemarksCraig Floyd, Former CEO of the NLEOMF ModeratorDr. Nathan Jones, Associate Professor, Sam Houston State UniversityPanelists:Juan Martinez, Special Agent, Drug Enforcement AdministrationAl Hargrove, Special Agent, Drug Enforcement AdministrationManuel Castañón, Special Agent, Drug Enforcement AdministrationSteve Duncan, California Department of Justicehttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

Our Lifeline show provides content with a holistic wellness approach focused on supporting American law enforcement, including health and wellness. What about financial wellness? Law enforcement professionals should be thinking about their financial future and the steps necessary to achieve financial security.Today's episode is for those in law enforcement uncertain about their retirement plans or goals. Troy Anderson, the executive director of Office Safety and Wellness at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund sits down with Andrew Whiting, the Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer at MissionSquare Retirement, to talk about the importance of financial security for law enforcement professionals.For more information about MissionSquare Retirement, please visit: https://www.missionsq.org/.The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) is not a current client or investor of MissionSquare Retirement and its affiliated entities (“MissionSquare”). MissionSquare partners with NLEOMF at a cost of $150,000 annually. This endorsement is a benefit of the paid partnership which means that NLEOMF was indirectly compensated for this endorsement. This represents a material conflict of interest because NLEOMF has a financial incentive to recommend MissionSquare.https://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

In today’s episode of Law and Disorder, we are going to discuss the case of “Baby Doe” who was discovered on June 15, 2015 on the shore of Deer Island, outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Baby Doe was ultimately identified as two-year-old Bella Bond, but until she was identified, it was the practice of Forensic Palynology that created the first real break in her case. This episode is Part 2 of our look into Forensic Palynology.Part 1 goes in depth about Forensic Palynology, if you aren't already familiar it.Warning: this episode discusses the death and murder of a two-year-old child and may be triggering to some listeners. https://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

The National Law Enforcement Museum hosted a panel discussion concerning the implementation of body warn cameras by law enforcement. Each panelist began by sharing their involvement with body worn cameras, touching on issues of pilot program implementation, getting community input, and creating and analyzing policies for body camera programs. Panelists also explained how they worked to get communities on board with the idea of body cameras. Lt. Grenon shared how, in Seattle, they provided room in their policy for officers to be able to flag certain elements of video in the metadata that might not be appropriate for public disclosure. Commander Jones told of a debate that came up in Montgomery County about whether or not it was appropriate for School Resource Officers to use cameras when engaging with students, and that privacy concerns of domestic violence and sexual assault victims was a common concern. The question of disclosure emerged as one of the primary concerns and challenges of body camera programs. Mr. Stanley explained what the ACLU sees as the ideal: “We don’t want to see extremes on either end of the spectrum…we don’t think that’s the right balance between transparency and disclosure.” According to Mr. Stanley, certain types of videos should be flagged and made publicly available, but routine video need not be held in perpetuity.Tune into this revisit in its entirety and see how a program from several years is still very much relevant to today's law enforcement.Thanks for listening!Featuring:ModeratorLindsay Miller Goodison, Senior Research Associate, Police Executive Research ForumPanelistsMarcus Jones, Third District Commander for the Montgomery County (MD) Police DepartmentJay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) Speech, Privacy, and Technology ProjectBryan Grenon of the Seattle (WA) Police DepartmentMichael White, Professor of the Arizona State University (ASU) School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Associate Director of ASU’s Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safetyhttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

Law and Disorder features true crime stories, investigative techniques, forensics, and the people responsible for solving difficult crimes. On this special episode, Anna Muckenfuss sits down with Lori-Suzanne Dell, the author of "A Fallen Star", and Sheriff Kevin Joyce, of the Cumberland County (ME) Sheriff's Office, to discuss the case of Deputy Ebenezer Parker.Deputy Parker served with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office in the early 19th century and performed many of the same duties that sheriffs do today. On the evening of January 11, 1808, Deputy Parker was tasked with enforcing an outstanding debt to a person who publicly refused to go quietly. As a result of doing his duty, he was brutally assaulted and remained in a coma for a week before succumbing to his injuries on January 18th.The significance of this case is that Deputy Parker is known to be the first officer to die in the line of duty in the New England area, yet his final resting place has not been determined. In addition to telling his life story and family genealogy, Lori-Suzanne and Sheriff Joyce discuss the difficulties of this 200-year-old case and all the nuances involved.We hope in addition to listening to the results of all their hard work, that you'll consider purchasing "A Fallen Star" to learn even more about all the fascinating results Lori-Suzanne discovered over many years of research."A Fallen Star" by Lori-Suzanne Dell is available for purchase at most major bookstores and online retailers. From "A Fallen Star":"On April 25th of 2002, Maine Department of Public Safety Deputy Commissioner John Rogers wrote a memorandum to then Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion requesting that his department locate the graves of any of the department’s fallen officers for recognition in the Maine Law Enforcement Memorial annual remembrance, as required by Maine law. This seemingly simple request unwittingly sparked a nearly two-decades-long search for the final resting place of Maine’s first fallen law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty, Cumberland County Deputy Sheriff Ebenezer Parker."An update from Sheriff Joyce:"Last fall we received information that in the area described by Lori-Suzanne Dell as the "lost Parker lot" of the cemetery, there is indication of items that resemble buried headstones about 6 inches underground. In fact, there are several pieces of artifact, which yield credibility to the fact that Lori-Suzanne Dell could not account for 9 members of the Parker family for that era.I am now working with a retired Maine Game Warden, who is now an archaeologist, to possibly probe and excavate the potential headstones in hopes of finding the inscription of Ebenezers name and date of birth on the stones. We hope to do that in early spring. That will give us 100% certainty of Deputy Parker being buried in the cemetery. If we don't find an inscribed headstone in that area, then we will be back to not being 100% sure of the area being Ebenezer's gravesite."Stay tuned for a follow-up of this episode, as Sheriff Joyce awaits the results of ground penetrating radar in spring 2024!Featuring:Lori-Suzanne Dell, Historian and Author, "A Fallen Star"Sheriff Kevin Joyce, Cumberland County Sheriff's Officehttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

Today's episode takes a look at NHTSA traffic statistics for the final quarter of 2023. Nick Breul provides an update on these latest law enforcement traffic-related fatality statistics and is joined by Reo Nelson, from NHTSA. These webinars aid listeners in understanding what types of crashes were the most common in 2023 and highlights details on the circumstances involved in the crashes.  Nick will cover seat belt use, and other important crash data points, such as tire deflation devices, and single-vehicle crashes.Contact Nick Breul202-365-6743nbreul@nleomf.orgResources:NHTSA quarterly reportsPresentation SlideshowsOther Officer Traffic Safety ResourcesFeaturing:Nick Breul, Senior Program Manager, OSW, National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial FundReo Nelson, Traffic Safety Specialist, NHTSA Justice and Enforcement Service Divisionhttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

In partnership with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), the National Law Enforcement Museum presented Voices for Change: Excellence in Black Law Enforcement Media. This program brought together influential law enforcement officers from around the country who utilize various media platforms such as social networks, public speaking, and documentary films to inspire a new generation of officers and community leaders and create more awareness for the profession of law enforcement and the officers protecting our communities. This program was originally released in February 2023. Featuring:Marcia Ferranto, Former CEO of NLEOMFBrenda Goss Andrews, 45th President of NOBLELieutenant Colonel Kristal Turner-Childs (Ret.)Assistant Chief Jonni Redick (Ret.)Officer Anthony JohnsonEric McCantsSpecial Deputy Sheriff Jim Klockhttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

This week on Law and Disorder, we will introduce you to Frances Glessner Lee, who is regarded by many as the woman who invented modern forensics. Lee’s passion for the field of legal medicine led to the creation of a unique seminar for homicide detectives that focused on her handmade miniature crime-scenes that she called “The Nutshells of Unexplained Death.” This episode will dive into Frances Glessner Lee’s interesting life, and her Nutshells, which are still used to train homicide detectives today.Resources:Smithsonian Institution Exhibit: "Murder Is Her Hobby" "18 Tiny Deaths" by Bruce Goldfarbhttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

The National Law Enforcement Museum and the National Organization of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE) worked together to provide this live virtual discussion focusing on empowering women in law enforcement.Women constitute less than 13% of total officers in this country—with an even smaller proportion of leadership positions—despite comprising over 50% of the total US population. Despite recent efforts to increase representation, the percentage of women in law enforcement has remained stagnant for the past few decades.How do women contribute in ways that differ from their male colleagues? What strengths do women bring to the field? How do they impact the safety of officers and the communities they serve? These questions and others were discussed during this live program, moderated by Kathy O’Toole.Museum Public Programs - www.nleomf.org/museum/public-programs/Upcoming Women's History Month Program on March 22nd- Walking the Same Beat: The First Patrol of Women OfficersResources:National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives – https://nawlee.org/Women in Policing Resources, IACP https://www.theiacp.org/women-in-policing-resources#:~:text=The%20Women’s%20Leadership%20Institute%20(WLI,groups%2C%20and%20achieve%20organizational%20goals.International Association of Women Police https://www.iawp.org/Featuring:WelcomePaula Balafas, President, National Association of Women Law Enforcement ExecutivesModeratorKathy O’Toole, First female commissioner of the Boston (MA) Police Department, first Chief Inspector of the Garda Inspectorate, and Chief of the Seattle (WA) Police Department from 2014 to 2017.Panelists:Chief Gina Hawkins, Fayetteville (NC) Police DepartmentChief Roxana Kennedy, Chula Vista (CA) Police DepartmentSheriff Rosie Rivera, Salt Lake County (UT) Sheriff’s OfficeSonya K. Chavez, U.S. Marshals Service (NM)Chief Jill Lees, IUPD-Bloomington (IN)https://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

In this month's episode of Law and Disorder, Anna Muckenfuss sits down with Dr. Jenifer Smith, who boasts a nearly 40-year career in the field of forensic science. They will discuss Dr. Smith's road to the forensics lab, the cases from her career that have stuck with her, and the power of women in the field of forensic science.https://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

On September 10, 1968, two female officers at the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department made history when they became the first women in the United States to be given a patrol assignment in the same fashion as their male colleagues. Years later, Sergeant Betty Blankenship's daughter, Robin Tryon would become a police officer with the same department where her mother made history. In this special episode of Icons, Law and Disorder host, Anna Muckenfuss, sits down with Robin Tryon to discuss her both Robin and Betty's careers, Betty's legacy, and what it means to have her story told at the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C.Resources: Walking the Same Beat: The First Patrol of Women Officershttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino was the first Italian-born officer in the NYPD and boasted a successful 25-year career busting organized crime with his Italian Squad. But his career – and his life – was cut short when he was sent on a fateful secret mission to Sicily and was assassinated on his way to meet an informant. On today’s episode of Law and Disorder, we are diving into the assassination of Lieutenant Detective Joseph Petrosino, who remains the only NYPD officer ever killed in the line of duty overseas.Be sure to check out the previous Icons episode to learn more about Joseph Petrosino's life and career.https://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

Washington, DC, is home to roughly 27 Law Enforcement agencies with overlapping jurisdictions, which often require cross-agency collaboration to solve the nearly 34,000 crimes that occur in the district each year. Processing much of this evidence requires the expertise of trained scientists, and that is where the DC Department of Forensic Science (DFS) plays a crucial role.Known as “The People’s Lab,” DFS is the largest publicly funded forensics lab in the United States and operates independently under the local DC government, as it serves every law enforcement agency in the district. DFS exists due to the need for simpler cross-agency collaboration and the need for clear communication regarding evidence during the investigation process.This special virtual panel event will detail the practice of many different kinds of forensic scientists who work for DFS and explain the marvel that is our country’s largest independent forensic lab.Part 1 provides a background of the DFS and features introductions of the three esteemed panelists.Panelists:Dr. Jenifer Smith, Director, DC Department of Forensic ScienceWayne E. Arendse, Forensic Science Laboratory Director, DC Department of Forensic ScienceChristopher LoJacono, Crime Scene Sciences Director, DC Department of Forensic ScienceStudent Resource GuideDownload PDF https://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

Washington, DC, is home to roughly 27 Law Enforcement agencies with overlapping jurisdictions, which often require cross-agency collaboration to solve the nearly 34,000 crimes that occur in the district each year. Processing much of this evidence requires the expertise of trained scientists, and that is where the DC Department of Forensic Science (DFS) plays a crucial role.Known as “The People’s Lab,” DFS is the largest publicly funded forensics lab in the United States and operates independently under the local DC government, as it serves every law enforcement agency in the district. DFS exists due to the need for simpler cross-agency collaboration and the need for clear communication regarding evidence during the investigation process.This special virtual panel event will detail the practice of many different kinds of forensic scientists who work for DFS and explain the marvel that is our country’s largest independent forensic lab.Part 2 concludes this series with a question-and-answer portion of the program.Panelists:Dr. Jenifer Smith, Director, DC Department of Forensic ScienceWayne E. Arendse, Forensic Science Laboratory Director, DC Department of Forensic ScienceChristopher LoJacono, Crime Scene Sciences Director, DC Department of Forensic ScienceStudent Resource GuideDownload PDFhttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

From 1979 to 2001, FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen devised his place in history as one of the most devastating double agents in the Bureau’s history before he was ultimately arrested and sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences. On today’s episode of Law and Disorder, we will dive into this case and the internal FBI investigation that brought him to justice. https://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the role of police has expanded to include the enforcement of public-health safety regulations in congruence with local, state, and federal law. With citizens of their jurisdictions eager to escape quarantine and return to normal life, this has been a challenge.The tragedy and scope of COVID-19 has shown its face in astronomical death tolls and extreme personal sacrifice, with the weight of the pandemic falling hardest on minority communities – specifically on those of Black and Latino Americans. While members of these communities are becoming infected and dying of COVID-19 at higher rates than others, they are also finding themselves in more contact with local law enforcement because of social distancing and additional pandemic-related regulations.This panel will discuss the challenges of enforcing coronavirus regulations, the impact it has had across different communities, and how that has affected initiatives focused on more equitable policing.Part 1 of this series begins with opening remarks from former CEO Marcia Ferranto and keynote speaker, former Boston (MA) Police Department Commissioner, Ed Davis. Following their remarks, Ganesha Martin, the program’s moderator, poses the first question and topic that arose during the earlier days of the Coronavirus pandemic: Defunding the police. Listen in to this three-part series, as we revisit Equitable Policing During the Coronavirus Pandemic program from September 2020.Moderator:Ms. Ganesha Martin, President, G.M.M. ConsultingKeynote Speaker:Ed Davis, Former Boston (MA) Police Department CommissionerPanelists:·       Judge Ernest F. Hart, Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters, New York (NY) Police Department·       Eric Adams, President, Brooklyn (NY) Borough·       Wendy Calaway, Professor, University of Cincinnati, OH·       Officer James Sobota, Houston (TX) Police Department·       Chief Brad Wells, Wood River (IL) Police Departmenthttps://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the role of police has expanded to include the enforcement of public-health safety regulations in congruence with local, state, and federal law. With citizens of their jurisdictions eager to escape quarantine and return to normal life, this has been a challenge.The tragedy and scope of COVID-19 has shown its face in astronomical death tolls and extreme personal sacrifice, with the weight of the pandemic falling hardest on minority communities – specifically on those of Black and Latino Americans. While members of these communities are becoming infected and dying of COVID-19 at higher rates than others, they are also finding themselves in more contact with local law enforcement because of social distancing and additional pandemic-related regulations.This panel will discuss the challenges of enforcing coronavirus regulations, the impact it has had across different communities, and how that has affected initiatives focused on more equitable policing.Part 2 of this series begins with a question posed from the program moderator, Ganesha Martin, about community policing, the importance of engaging with the public and building relationships, and how should law enforcement attempt to improve already strained relationships within certain communities.Listen in to this three-part series as we revisit Equitable Policing During the Coronavirus Pandemic program from September 2020.Moderator:Ms. Ganesha Martin, President, G.M.M. ConsultingKeynote Speaker:Ed Davis, Former Boston (MA) Police Department CommissionerPanelists:Judge Ernest F. Hart, Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters, New York (NY) Police DepartmentEric Adams, President, Brooklyn (NY) BoroughWendy Calaway, Professor, University of Cincinnati, OHOfficer James Sobota, Houston (TX) Police DepartmentChief Brad Wells, Wood River (IL) Police Department https://nleomf.org/museum/precinct-444/