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November 30, 2005

The Role Of Geographic Profiling In Serial Violent Crime Investigation

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 5:12 pm

Thanks to films like silence of the lambs, many people associate criminal profiling with the methods and techniques developed by the FBI at the Behavioral Science Unit at Quantico.

There are, however, a number of other approaches that can be used in the course of a criminal investigation. The role of one of these other approaches, geographic profiling, will be outlined in the course of this article.

Geographic profiling is an information management system and investigative methodology that evaluates the locations of connected serial crimes to determine the most probable area of offender residence.

It can be applied in cases of serial murder, rape, arson, robbery and bombings.

Background and History

The name most closely associated with geographical profiling is Kim Rossmo. Rossmo began studying geographical profiling as part of his PhD studies at Simon Fraser University (British Columbia, Canada).

He studied under professors Paul and Patricia Brentingham, who had developed a theoretical crime model which examined where crimes were most likely to happen, based on offender residence, workplace and leisure activity.

Put simply, the Brentingham model maintains that we all have an ‘activity space’ related to the areas in which we live, work and play and that this activity space produces a discernible pattern of movement around the city.

In relation to criminal activity, therefore, it follows that an offender has to know about a particular geographical area before he or she begins selecting crimes to commit; and where the offenders movement patterns intersect within this geographical area, will to a large extent determine where the crime takes place.

Kim Rossmo noted that the Brentingham model was examined primarily in relation to crime prevention and was interested in approaching the topic from the opposite perspective i.e. asking the question, what does the location of a crime say about where the offender might live?

Acknowledging the potential investigative use of this research the Vancouver Police Department established the worlds first Geographic Profiling Section in 1995. Since it’s launch, Scotland Yard, The FBI, The New York Police Department and The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have all called upon the services of the geographic profiling section.

How Does Geographical Profiling Work?

Geographic profiling works on the premise that the location of a crime site can provide the police with vital information. It assesses and predicts the offender’s most likely place of residence, place of work, social venues and travel routes etc.

Geographic profiling consists of both quantitative (objective) scientific geographic techniques and qualitative (subjective) components e.g. a reconstruction and interpretation of the offender’s mental map.’

The primary geographic technique is a computerised system known as Criminal Geographic Targeting (CGT). Put simply, spatial data i.e. data relating to time, distance and movement to and from the crime scenes is analysed to produce a three-dimensional model known as a jeopardy surface.

The jeopardy surface contains height and colour probability codes which when superimposed onto a map of the area in which the serial crimes have been committed give an indication of the likelihood of offender residence or place of work.

Although the science underpinning geographic profiling can be difficult to comprehend, it’s easy to see how this approach can offer practical assistance in the course of a criminal investigation. As Rossmo points out:

‘By establishing the probability of the offender residing in various areas and displaying those results on a map, police efforts to apprehend criminals can be assisted. This information allows police departments to focus their investigative efforts, geographically prioritise suspects, and concentrate patrol efforts in those zones where the criminal predator is likely to be active’.

Geographical Profiling Process

A geographic profile would typically fit into a criminal investigation as follows:

A series of crimes is committed.

The crimes are investigated via traditional means.

Linking analysis conducted to ascertain which crimes are connected.

Psychological profile of the unknown subject conducted.

Geographical profile constructed.

New investigative strategies developed and pursued.

Geographical Profiling Methodology

In preparing a geographic profile, a number of operational procedures will be followed. These include:

Examination of the case file: Witness statements, autopsy reports & psychological profile (if available).

Inspection of the crime scene.

Meetings and discussions with lead investigators.

Visits to the crime sites when practical.

Analysis of local crime statistics and demographic data.

Study of street, zoning and rapid transit maps.

Overall analysis and report submission.

To find out more about geographic profiling and criminal profiling in general visit .all-about-forensic-psychology.com

November 29, 2005

The Role Of The Private Investigator In The Criminal Justice Field

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 5:31 pm

Criminal Justice is an exciting field. One of the most beautiful things about the profession is that you have many career choices. You have the option of not being stuck doing the same thing your whole career. One of the choices you have is that of being a Private Investigator. In this article, I will examine the role of the Private Investigator (PI) in the Criminal Justice field.

To examine the role of the private investigator in the criminal justice field, we need to understand the meaning of the words Private Investigator.

The word private means alone. This means as a private investigator your work will involve working by yourself or alone. You do not work with or work for a governmental organization or police group.

The word investigator means someone who does detailed examination and searches for the facts. Facts are needed to support a point someone is trying to make. Without these facts, the person may not be able to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. This is where the investigator comes in. The investigator will help gather and examine the facts.

So to put them together, the private investigator works alone to help non governmental organizations or police groups gather information and examine this information for the facts. There are simply personal cases that governmental organizations cannot help individuals with. The private investigator’s role is to help these individuals.

An example is an attorney preparing for a court case. The private investigator can help this attorney gather and examine facts for the case.

Another example is insurance company that suspects someone of committing insurance fraud. This insurance company cannot simply accuse someone of committing insurance fraud. When it suspects there is such insurance fraud, it will employ the services of a private investigator to gather the facts to prove this suspicion.

The need for the private investigator to work in private is to allow him/her not to be detected by the people or person they are investigating. It must be pointed out that there are times a private investigator must work with other people. A private investigator working a case that requires surveillance may require someone to help setup and/or operate the surveillance equipment/s.

As can be seen, the role the private investigator plays in the criminal justice field is an important one. It’s a profession people interested in this exciting field should consider.

The Rutgers 1000 Is Baaaack!

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 3:49 pm

I have lived in New Jersey practically all of my life.

The Garden State has been in fiscal crisis practically all of my academic life and my working life. I realized this almost thirty years ago, as a student taxpayer; the tuition at Rutgers tripled between from my freshman year to my senior year.

All that time the campus looked the same, the complaints about the campus were the same. The complaints about traffic, large lecture classes, deferred maintenance, and so on, were the same.

I know that the extra tuition I paid didn’t end up in the professor’s pockets; it was used to make up cuts in state aid. Higher education received a lower priority in a recessionary economy.

I didn’t like it; I was paid triple the tuition to get the same education, but I learned to grit my teeth and bear it. So did my classmates; the alternatives were less attractive.

I know that extra tuition didn’t support the football program. In the late 70’s, early 80’s, the team was just starting to play the major football schools. Rutgers had to play the major games on the road, or at Giants Stadium (sorry Jet fans) in the Meadowlands. Rutgers Stadium was too small to host the major powers on campus. It still is, even with twice the seating we had back in our student days.

I understand the economic arguments against stadium expansion &ndash but Rutgers will not be taking the wraps of a new stadium today. Public construction projects have a bid process, a design process, a construction management process. We’re talking about a project that won’t be completed for two or three years.

A better economy and a better football team can pay it off &ndash and what’s the alternative?

Play at the Meadowlands?

That’s less possible now than it was thirty years ago; the current and future stadiums support two National Football League teams. There are only so many days that they will allow college football to tear up their field.

Two third of Rutgers alumni reside in New Jersey. The current Rutgers Stadium is, if nothing else, in a convenient location for alumni to fill the seats. The Meadowlands is far less convenient.

Rutgers allows 8,000 students to attend games free of charge; this is unique in college football. After I graduated from Rutgers in 1982, I went to the University of Illinois, a school that had a Rose Bowl team. I paid $60 a season for my seats &ndash in 1982. That was the same price for a young Rutgers alum &ndash in 1994!

I don’t think the Sports and Exposition Authority will allow Rutgers students to attend games in an NFL stadium for free; they didn’t thirty years ago.

Go “down league” as the Rutgers 1000 has suggested in the past?

The opportunity to play for a national championship puts “meat in the seats.” I sincerely doubt that Rutgers would reverse direction after receiving three consecutive bowl bids and playing to capacity crowds.

Obviously, fans can’t count on the quality of play at season’s eve, but expectations for Rutgers football have risen higher. Optimism breeds enthusiasm, which fills the seats.

Who, at Rutgers, in the 21st century, would be excited about a “Championship Subdivision” schedule, now that the Scarlet Knights have a legitimate shot at something better, something more likely to change the perception of the school for the better?

Alumni who graduated before me might be pleased; they were used to watching their teams play Princeton.

The Role Of The Paralegal Or Legal Assistant In The Criminal Justice Field

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 9:21 am

Paralegal or Legal Assistant is an exciting profession in the Criminal Justice field. It is hard to imagine a law office without a paralegal. They can be described as the right hand of the lawyer. In this article I examine the role of the paralegal or legal assistant in the criminal justice field.

The legal assistant as the name suggests is there to assist the lawyer. It is vitally important to know that the paralegal cannot give legal advice or act as a lawyer. What the paralegal does must be under the supervision of a lawyer. The paralegal can do the following under the watchful eye of a lawyer:

1. The paralegal can conduct client interviews. They must identify themselves as paralegals to the client before starting the interview. In this instance, the legal assistant helps the lawyer ascertain the facts of a case by talking to the client. This saves the lawyer valuable time. The lawyer can use that time to work on strategies for the case.

2. The legal assistant can locate and interview witnesses. If you watched the movie Erin Brockovich, you saw Julia Roberts play the role of a paralegal that locates and interviews clients. In one of the scenes, she clearly states that she is not a lawyer. This underlines the point above that paralegals cannot give legal advice. It also underlines the point that they identify themselves as such.

3. Legal assistants can research and prepare legal documents. Paralegals do acquire the training and experience necessary to prepare legal documents. All the lawyer has to do is double check the work to make sure it meets the legal requirements that such document requires. Again, I don’t have to tell what a valuable timesaver this is to a lawyer.

4. The paralegal can attend court trials. In this case, they help the lawyer with the case files. This way the lawyer is not fumbling in court looking for files or evidence. The paralegal is there to keep him or her organized.

I can write more volume on the role of the legal assistant or paralegal in the criminal justice field, but you get the point. It is indeed an exciting profession. Think of all the intriguing things that can be involved in a legal case. As a paralegal, you can be in the middle of it all.

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November 27, 2005

The Small But Essential Microscope Slide

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 4:40 pm

One of the sometimes overlooked pieces of equipment in any research lab is the humble microscope slide. Yet without a high quality microscope slide, the characteristics of the specimen being viewed can often be confused with the characteristics of the surface on which it is placed. A colored background will appear, under magnification, to be part of the specimen, and may even cause light refection which creates a haze around the specimen and makes it harder to analyze

Microscope slides, if they are to provide the clearest possible images, are required be made according to specific standards. Those which do not meet those standards will not be acceptable in any lab which performs microscopic research.

Characteristics Of Microscope Slides

A microscope slide must be constructed wither of glass or plastic; most slides are transparency so that their surfaces are not confused with the specimen upon it; nor will it create the haze-producing reflection. There are, however, frosted microscope slides for special uses.

The microscope slide should be a rectangle measuring 25 mm by 75 mm. Such a size makes the microscope slide both easy to manipulate and big enough to contain an adequately sized specimen. Under certain circumstances, however, larger slides may be called for, and as long as the microscope can accommodate them their use is appropriate.

A microscope slide should be between 1 mm and 1.2 mm thick, in order to diffuse light so that it is neither bright enough to irritate the viewer’s eyes not dim enough to make the specimen difficult to see. Slides are usually purchased in thicknesses a little greater than required for their expected use.

Cover Slips

Microscope slides which will be used with liquid specimens should have cover slips. Cover slips are use to “squash” the liquid so that air bubbled cannot form in it and affect the appearance of the specimen. The cover slip is simply a very small, thin piece of glass or plastic.

Handling A Microscope Slide

Microscope slides, especially those made of glass, are extremely fragile and should be handled with care, both to protect them and to protect their handlers should they break. A microscope should always be handled from the edges, so that its surface is not contaminated with oils from fingers which can mar the appearance of the specimen. For more info see .microscopesreview.com/Articles/Digital_Microscope_Camera.php on Digital Microscope Camera.

A single drop of pond water on a clean, transparent microscope slide can be a portal to another universe!

The San Jose Schools Struggle With Charters

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , — admin @ 10:28 am

The San Jose Schools have struggled for years to find ways to address educational issues in the city. While there is a lot of room for criticism in any urban school district, you can’t say that the San Jose Unified School District hasn’t tried a lot of different angles for success. The diversity in the San Jose Schools, with a significant percentage of Spanish and Vietnamese speaking families, can be part of the problem when communicating with parents and building successful schools. That’s why the charter schools within the San Jose Schools are such a bone of contention.

Charter schools are usually public schools which are independently run by a local or independent organization. Charter schools in the San Jose Schools often are freed from some of the constrictions that the regular public schools face. Is this good or bad? Well, there are a lot of opinions. For those who think that the San Jose Schools public education system needs to be taken over privately, and run like a business, charter schools make a lot of sense. For those in the San Jose Schools we are trying to make the current system better, charter schools seem like a drain on funding that get to operate outside of the rule book. What do the results say?

Results of Charters in the San Jose Schools

A recent study of California charter schools had some interesting results that may impact the San Jose Schools. An independent educational research group found that charters are better for middle school students, worse for elementary school students, and there was no consistent pattern for high school students.

What does this mean for students, parents and teachers in the San Jose Schools? A lot more indecision and confusion. Look at the Leadership Charter Schools. There’s one in East San Jose, and a few more in outlying areas. Many parents are passionate about sending their children here, but the charter has continually butted heads with the local public schools. That’s partially because schools lose money when students leave for another school. So the charters can cost the public schools money.

But here’s what the San Jose Schools should be focusing on. There’s a reason why charter middle schools seem to perform better than other middle schools. Let’s not wait another 3 years for an independent research team to find out what’s going on. The principals and teachers of San Jose Schools should be meeting and brainstorming to find out what the differences are. Charter and public schools on the same team. I suspect the need for preadolescents to have be in smaller and more intimate settings is going to show up as a factor. But why then, would charter elementary schools be in worse shape?

Maybe elementary schools are smaller to begin with so size is less of a factor? Maybe the elementary schools tend to be newer and by the time the kids filter up to middle the kinks are worked out? Lots of questions that need to be answered. At the moment, the San Jose Schools use the charter schools as an alternative, largely for low-income families. And with the state of education, alternatives aren’t something we should give up.

November 26, 2005

The Stars Shine In Los Angeles Schools

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: — admin @ 11:50 am

Who wouldn’t love to live in sunny L.A.? The beach, the movie stars, the extremely crowded schools, poor school maintenance, and incompetent administration…Actually, a significant number of the district’s schools do not possess such conditions, despite the reputation of Los Angeles Schools.

There really are many good things about Los Angeles Schools. First of all, former Superintendent Roy Romer is staying involved by heading up “Ed in ‘08”, a project of Strong American Schools. Partly funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, “Ed in ‘08” has a platform based on higher standards, more effective teaching, and extra attention to students who need it. The campaign hopes to inspire voters to force presidential candidates from both parties to make education the top priority and to take up its agenda. The project is in good hands with Romer who, during his 6-year stint as the Los Angeles Schools Superintendent, helped to open two new high schools in 2005, four in 2006, and set plans in motion for over 160 schools to be constructed, expanded, or completely refurbished by 2012.

The El Camino Real High School Academic Decathlon team in Woodland Hills is another star feature of Los Angeles Schools. This year’s championship took place in Honolulu, HI. Despite amazing beauty and nearly limitless opportunities for fun, the representatives of Los Angeles Schools devote most of their time to pre-competition cramming. It all paid off, for these students took top prize, and earned glory for themselves, their school, and all the Los Angeles Schools they represent.

Within the past 6 years, the Los Angeles Schools district has built more new schools than in the previous 60 years, but also suffered a dropout rate that may be as high as 50%. In response, meet another Los Angeles Schools star, Jacob Levin. Jacob is a senior at North Hollywood High School, who argues that “school districts [are] hamstrung from providing better student services by a federal government that underfunds education.” Levin adds, “You can’t expect to have an education system that works if you don’t give kids the money they need to be able to get to college.”

Another star in the Los Angeles Schools district is the recent and highly significant state allocations to the Visual and Performing Arts education. Nearly $47 million will go to the Los Angeles Schools, and is earmarked for dance, music, theatre, and visual arts instruction. The funding comes from two sources. One is a grant of $28 million that will be given to individual Los Angeles Schools. This works out to approximately $50 per student. Current allocation is about $8 per student. Grant money may only be used for materials, supplies, and teacher training. Schools cannot upgrade facilities or hire new instructors. The second funding source ($11.3 million) will be dispersed through the Los Angeles Schools Arts Education Branch. Parents who want to influence how their school uses its Arts money need to be vocal and get involved. The money is there; now all that needs to be done is to spend it wisely.

The Los Angeles Schools district is huge; it is the largest public school system in California, and the second largest in the nation. It serves over 710,000 students, and has over 74,000 employees. The Student Handbook is available in 7 different languages: English, Spanish, Korean, Armenian, Chinese, Russian, and Vietnamese. With its size and diversity, it’s no wonder that Los Angeles Schools have all these stars!

November 25, 2005

The Temperature In Different Places Varies On The Basis Of Weather Conditions

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 8:45 pm

Many countries across the world are putting in a lot of their resources for research on weather with the expectation of reaping more benefits by making accurate predictions compared to the costs involved. Developed countries from Europe, America, Australasia and Asia have set up superior weather services.

The weather across the globe is a result of interaction between massive interconnected systems. Hence, accurate predictions about the weather require proper cooperation between countries all over the world. Since the weather systems move across the globe, predicting the weather of one place depends on the knowledge of present conditions in the adjoining areas.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) was formed to cater to the necessity of the different countries willing to work hand-in-hand. WMO happens to be a very helpful and successful global organization. The countries belonging to this organization are in touch with each other and sharing information about weather since early years of 1950s. As a result, the people of the meteorological offices across several countries can access the database for the world’s weather on a day-to-day basis.

Even though the atmosphere provides the earth with a layer of protection, it is very thin. There are distinct layers that together constitute the atmosphere. Since the discovery of the first layer of the atmosphere in 1899, researchers have been able to identify a total of five different layers present between the outer space and the earth’s ground. Even though all these layers have their impacts on the climate and weather of the world, about 99% of the weather conditions are because of the troposphere, that forms the first layer.

Extending for about 5 to 10 miles in height from the ground, the troposphere is the highest near the equator and lowest near the poles. The temperature of the air drops by around 4 degrees Fahrenheit for each 1,000 feet rise in altitude through troposphere.

Stratosphere, which is the second layer of the atmosphere, extends for 30 miles over the ground. The air temperatures in this region rise to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Stratosphere also contains the ozone layer that lies at 15 miles over the ground level.

The next level of atmosphere is known as the mesosphere that goes till 50 miles over the ground. Air temperature in this mesosphere dips down again and may even go down to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

The thermosphere (also known as ionosphere) lies above the mesosphere. The temperatures here shoot up to a maximum of even 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit. This layer protects us from the debris in the outer space. The satellite, meteors and other substances coming down from the space cannot usually survive the extreme temperatures in this layer.

Exosphere lies at the top of all the other atmospheric layers. This layer is made up of different types of gases. But most of the molecules here escape to the outer space as the force of gravity here is too less, resulting in the presence of gases in very small quantities.

In a nutshell, even though troposphere is primarily responsible for the occurrence of the weather, all the layers like exosphere, thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere and the troposphere causes life to survive on the planet.

November 24, 2005

The Tenets Of Financial Literacy

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — admin @ 10:53 pm

At the turn of the millennium, more people are starting to realize that the world is wealthy. The power of today’s system allows one to find ways to achieve financial freedom without the critical essence of hard work. With smart work, there is a different sense and approach to life.

Sadly, the current educational system is left with classical teaching. Most of the things that we learn in college refine us to work hard and work for money. With the number of new degrees and graduates cropping up, most of them still get stuck with 20th century thinking. Thus, people who seek financial literacy in the 21st century know what the trends are and act on it with a positive mindset.

The Scope of Literacy and Financial Literacy

As a standard, literacy is defined as the ability to read and write. Taking a step further, functional literacy is the term used to describe students with the ability to use their reading and writing abilities in a functional way. As a basic concept, literacy is learning what everyone should learn.

Financial literacy is therefore the ability of people to acquire knowledge when it comes to basic financial strategies and information. A good 90% of investors will tell you that they wish they knew more about the intricacies of finances and investments. Financial literacy is not so common after all. With 21st century education, financial reading and financial writing can be used to achieve financial freedom. Financial literacy should not be a far flung concept for people at this age.

In his best selling book “What I Didn’t Learn in School but I Wish I Had”, author Jamie McIntyre talks about the relevance of financial literacy and 21st century education. From the title of his book, he openly tells us that we are not learning what could have been general information for success. The traditional view forces most people to follow a structure and be included in a system where the haves control the world and the have-nots pay the bills.

Being financially literate means knowing the different pitfalls and mistakes of the traditional mindset. As a self-made millionaire, Jamie McIntyre communicates that being a financial success is doing the opposite of what other have been doing for so long. By being financially literate, we can find reasons why people fail and find ways to avoid these reasons.

Financial literacy transcends the basic read-write philosophy. By having a different approach or perspective to one’s life, financial literacy can be applied to develop different financial strategies with the hope of achieving financial freedom. By learning the tenets of a millionaire’s mindset, Jamie McIntyre promises that being financially successful is indeed possible.

The millionaire’s mindset is a paradigm change in the way people think. Being a student of financial literacy will tell us the value and the right attitude towards money. As a philosophy, we can approach different aspects of our lives and see things differently. The change in perspective will allow us to be more effective and influential individuals because of our personal success.

The relevance of financial literacy cannot be understated during these times. The message is clear: financial freedom is a shift and freedom knows no limitations. Success should not be governed by your talents, skills, or luck. A positive mindset is the mind of people willing to act. Being financially literate will teach us to find opportunities in risks and courage in hesitations. Jamie McIntyre and his 21st Century Education is indeed the key to financial literacy.

To learn more about the relevance of financial literacy, subscribe to the courses and e-books at Wealth Creation Academy. The collection includes a free educational DVD and other materials to reach your financial potential.

The True Art Of Memorization

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 10:06 am

There are many ways to try to improve your ability to memorize and process information. Unfortunately in our age many have only considered the physical factors affecting it (i.e lack of healthy food, vitamins etc) although the psychological factors are much greater. First of all, before you even try to memorize anything you should ask yourself why you want to memorize it?

Is it necessary or is it enough to just understand a principle without the need of memorizing it. Secondly, what are your motives behind wanting to memorize this information. You see, having a strong purpose will make your job a lot easier, even if you don’t really give it much thought. Having that said, I believe we’ve covered some of the basics and fundamentals of memorization so let’s move on to the actual techniques.

To memorize something, you need to learn the art of association, namely linking one piece of information (the thing you want to remember) with another more explicit piece of information (i.e something you already remember), this will enable you to recall the former without any real need of reflection.

It’s here that mnemonics come into the picture. Mnemonics are basically a type of memory aid used in order to memorize different pieces of information, a good example of a mnemonic is the thirty days hath September rhyme which is thought in elementary schools all over the U.S. Albeit, mnemonics do not end there, you could for instance link between pieces of information by rhyme, by alliteration or something of that kind.

Do remember that we all learn in different ways so do not force yourself to adapt to a specific way of learning if it does not fit you. The purpose of your studies is for you to learn not to follow a certain way of learning, right? Having that said, I would like to conclude this article with the following words:

“A successful student forces him/herself to remember”.

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