Police Practices & Security Articles

The use/non-use of Body Worn Cameras (BWCs) by law enforcement may be called into question in a broad range of civil and criminal disputes. In this article, police practices expert Mark Meredith provides an introduction to BWC systems while focusing more closely on the specific scenarios where BWCs should be shut off, and the circumstances under which footage can be edited. This article also takes a brief look at how body worn cameras are operated, legal variables posed with the use of these devices, and potential limitations.

Human trafficking is the third largest criminal activity in the world. The U.S. Department of State estimates there are tens of millions of people worldwide being trafficked, generating over $150 billion in illegal profits, with two-thirds coming from sex exploitation.

In this article, police practices and premises security expert Michael Gerard examines the prevalence of human trafficking in hotels, motels, and massage establishments. Insight on how property owners, managers and staff of these establishments can identify victims and implement measures to combat this issue is examined. During his law enforcement career, Mr. Gerard led a team which was charged with recovering victims, and investigating and prosecuting human traffickers. He was also responsible for developing and implementing programs in hotels, motels and massage establishments which addressed the crime of human trafficking in these establishments.

Dr. Justin Ramsdell is a clinical psychologist and college professor who also works as a Crisis Intervention Trainer for the Arlington and Fairfax County Sherriff’s and Police Departments in Virginia. He specializes in educating law enforcement and emergency medical personnel on best practices of interacting with mentally ill or emotionally disturbed individuals. He was asked by the AirTalk® show on 89.3 KPCC/Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) to lend insight on the degree of responsibility officers have de-escalating a potential “suicide by cop” situation.

In this article, police practices and procedures expert Michael Gerard discusses the evolution of law enforcement procedures in active shooter situations at schools in the years following the Columbine High School shooting. By re-evaluating response times and other incident related data, law enforcement and emergency response agencies have been able to adapt their strategy, enabling them to safely begin assisting victims more quickly.

In this article, clinical psychologist, Justin Ramsdell, Psy.D discusses the challenge faced by law enforcement officers when confronted with individuals who struggle with severe emotional/mental health issues. His discussion includes an overview of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and best practices in law enforcement for de-escalating potentially tumultuous situations.

Dr. Ramsdell specializes in issues relating to mental health treatment in correctional/custodial environments and law enforcement interactions with individuals with severe mental illness.

Robson Forensic photogrammetry expert, Steven Becker appeared on the Nancy Grace show on May 16, 2016 to help viewers understand what kind of information analysts can hope to glean from the surveillance footage captured in the Missy Bevers murder investigation.

This article provides an introduction to the processes utilized by forensic experts performing Questioned Document Examinations.

This document contains an unsolicited letter of gratitude from one of Mark’s many satisfied clients. In this case Mark was retained to perform a Questioned Document Examination (QDE).

In this document, forensic document examiner, Mark Songer, provides an introduction to the science of forensic handwriting analysis. He discusses the steps that a forensic document examiner follows, including analysis, comparison, and evaluation. He also provides a brief example, comparing two handwriting samples, drawing attention to some of the key differences that a handwriting analyst may utilize in his analysis.