FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin - May03leb

8/9/2019 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin - May03leb

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ISSN 0014-5688 USPS 383-310

Features

Departments

5 Crime Data U.S. Correctional Population

6 Focus on Police-CommunityRelations

The MAPS Program

9 Unusual Weapon Handmade Blowgun

Weapons of Mass Destructionand Civil Aviation Preparedness

By Robert Raffel

Writing a Winning

Grant Proposal

By Jon M. Shane

Police Response to

Anonymous Emergency CallsBy Michael L. Ciminelli

1

May 2003Volume 72Number 5

United StatesDepartment of Justice

Federal Bureau of InvestigationWashington, DC 20535-0001

Robert S. Mueller IIIDirector

Contributors opinions and statementsshould not be considered an

endorsement by the FBI for any policy,program, or service.

The attorney general has determinedthat the publication of this periodical is

necessary in the transaction of thepublic business required by law. Use

of funds for printing this periodical hasbeen approved by the director of theOffice of Management and Budget.

The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

(ISSN-0014-5688) is publishedmonthly by the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation, 935 PennsylvaniaAvenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.

20535-0001. Periodicals postage paidat Washington, D.C., and additionalmailing offices. Postmaster: Send

address changes to Editor, FBI LawEnforcement Bulletin, FBI Academy,

Madison Building, Room 209,Quantico, VA 22135.

Editor

John E. Ott

Associate Editors

Cynthia L. Lewis

David W. MacWha

Bunny S. Morris

Art Director

Denise Bennett Smith

Assistant Art Director

Stephanie L. Lowe

Staff Assistant

Linda W. Szumilo

This publication is produced bymembers of the Law Enforcement

Communication Unit,Training Division.

Internet Address

[email protected]

Cover Photo

Greater Orlando Aviation Authority

Send article submissions to Editor,FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, FBIAcademy, Madison Building, Room

209, Quantico, VA 22135.

By following some basic principles,agencies can improve their prospectsfor obtaining much-needed funds.

Enchanced coordination between lawenforcement agencies and the civi laviation community can help combat aWMD threat.

23Given the large number of anonymousemergency calls received by the police,it is critical that law enforcement beprepared to respond to them effectivelyand lawfully.

12

10 Bulletin Reports

Criminal HistoryImprovement Program

Mediation ProgramsPublic Safety Officers

Programs

22 Book ReviewSurviving as a Law

Enforcement Executive


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May 2003 / 1

eapons of mass destruc-tion (WMD) pose athreat to the American

contain numerous articles and in-formation on this topic, and newsources appear daily. However,with all of this activity, the civilaviation community1 only recentlyhas begun planning WMD-drivencontingencies. On both airport andair carrier levels, many issues re-main unresolved, and severalhurdles lie ahead. The civil aviationcommunity will continue to prepare

for and combat WMD threats, butlaw enforcement and public healthagencies also must pool their re-sources to fend off the most likelyWMD threat: biological weapons.2

PREPAREDNESSAND RESPONSE

Assessment

Biological weapons are naturalorganisms or diseases used in aharmful or destructive manner (e.g.,smallpox, anthrax, and Ebola).Many countries and terrorist groupshave the capability to mass producelethal viruses and distribute them

throughout the human population.This creates a serious threat to theAmerican publics freedom andsafety. Although the civil aviationcommunity is starting to assess

Wpublic and have become an issue ofnational importance. Law enforce-ment and public health agencies atthe local, state, and federal levelsrecently have begun to examine andupgrade their response capabilities.

New organizations tasked withcombating the threat, such as the

Department of Homeland Security,have surfaced and started organiz-ing their resources. Todays litera-ture and media, especially in thewake of September 11, 2001,

Weapons of Mass Destructionand Civil Aviation

PreparednessBy ROBERT RAFFEL



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2 / FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

threats of WMD and biologicalweapons with its own resources, ittypically has relied on the researchand resources of law enforcement

agencies. Nationally, the FBI, theFederal Emergency ManagementAssociation (FEMA), the Depart-ment of Defense (DoD), and a mul-titude of other organizations alwayshave identified groups likely to useWMD and will continue to do sowith a sense of urgency after terror-ists utilized civil aviation to destroythe World Trade Center and dam-age the Pentagon. Although theUnited States remains one of the

worlds countries most threatened by WMD, it needs cooperationfrom other countries in investigat-ing and arresting elusive terrorists.

The United States has emergedas the world economic and techno-logical power while fragmentationtears apart other regions of theworld. As fragmentation createsconflict and countries choose sides,the resulting instability increasesthe likelihood of asymmetric threats

directed against the United States.3

Some of these threats most likelywill involve WMD and could targetthe civil aviation community. Fur-

thermore, the pervasiveness of theU.S. civil aviation presence in theworld, combined with the vulner-able state of aviation preparednessto combat and respond to biologicalattacks, creates a significant risk toairports, air carriers, and the Ameri-can public.

Biological pathogens exacer- bate this risk. Incidents involvingbiological pathogens may arise thatterrorists have not initiated. These

incidents may happen randomly andwith no foul intentions. For ex-ample, a Canadian woman on a

plane flying from Congo toMontreal, which then proceeded to

New York, began exhibiting signsof hemorrhagic fever. The Ebola vi-rus, foreign to American soil andlethal to humans, induces hemor-rhagic fever, which is an airbornedisease. It could have infected theairplane staff or other passengers

traveling to the United States, eventhough the woman did not continuewith the plane from Montreal to

New York. The woman had no in-

tention of transporting the biologi-cal pathogen to the United States,

but she created an incident thatcould have proven fatal for many

people.4 The emergence of new andmore virulent strains of diseasearound the world increases the

probability of civil aviation in-volvement in a biological event. Al-though not predictable and not asserious a threat to the American

public as WMD, these situations

deserve attention from the civilaviation community.

Crisis Management

The FBI has been designatedthe lead agency for crisis manage-ment response to threats or acts ofterrorism. FEMA and other federalagencies will provide direct supportupon request.5 If WMD are in-volved, the FBI may request a do-mestic emergency support team to

provide expert advice and assis-

tance to the FBI on-scene com-mander. FEMAs deployment of ateam will take time, however. In theinterim, the local airport will man-age the crisis according to proce-dures, which typically include theactivation of the emergency opera-tions center (EOC) and, possibly, amobile command post. Airports andair carriers have experience provid-ing support in crisis situations, andthey know what kind of resourceslaw enforcement agencies willrequest.

When a WMD incident occurs,the rules change. Generally, com-

plex biological attacks have lackedassociation with civil aviation

At the airportlevel, partnerships

must be formed withlocal, state, and

federal lawenforcement and

public healthentities.

Mr. Raffel, a former security manager for the Federal AviationAdministration, now serves as the senior director for publicsafety at the Orlando, Florida, International Airport.


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May 2003 / 3

incidents. When a biological eventtakes place, the calculus of crisismanagement differs from what thecivil aviation industry commonly

takes for granted and has practicedover the years. This makes coopera-tion between the civil aviation com-munity and federal, state, and locallaw enforcement agencies more im-

portant than ever.

First Responders

Who is trained and equipped torespond quickly when a biologicalincident occurs on an aircraft or atan airport?Firefighters and police,otherwise trained to respondquickly and decisively to a disasterscene, have new requirements forresponse to biological events. Test-ing protocols and isolation factors

become important, as do properequipment and training.

New Players

Who is responsible for quaran-tine of an aircraft? A biological in-cident places new organizations onthe civil aviation crisis management

platform. During a suspected bio-logical attack, the public healthcommunity will play a major role

because it has a more comprehen-sive understanding of the problem.The Centers for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC), togetherwith local and state health authori-ties, will assume part of the deci-sion-making process and, in non-criminal cases, may even take thelead.

New IssuesAt what point does a biological

scene become a criminal investiga-tion? Biological events may be dif-ficult to connect with criminal in-tent, especially in the early stages,

EOC Composition

During a WMD incident, theEOC group, comprised of decisionmakers, may react differently com-

pared to its behavior in other crisissituations. Given the need fortrained and expert guidance,the EOC may become a unifiedcommand post responsible for man-aging the biological crisis. A leadindividual retains ultimate deci-sion-making powers in the unified

command post. However, the EOCgroup gains input via a team offirefighters, medical personnel, po-lice, and airport and air carrier rep-resentatives, any of whom (espe-cially the firefighters and medical

personnel) could become the keydecision makers when the needarises.6 Carrying out this strategyalso assumes a high level of trainingin unified command proceduresand a firm partnership with local,state, and federal public healthentities.

Mitigation

On the federal level, FEMA hasbeen designated the lead agency forconsequence management.7 Crisis

but an assessment of criminalitymust be completed. Some questionsexist that may be pertinent to thisissue.

What kind of viruses/out-breaks have authorities found?

Are the viruses/outbreakslethal to humans?

Could the use of this particu-lar virus be considered aweapon?

How was the virus discovered? How widespread is the

damage?

Is this widespread naturenormal, or would it onlyhappen if the virus was

purposely released?

Answering these and other spe-cific questions will provide guid-ance to law enforcement officers indetermining the need for investiga-tive procedures. Moreover, al-though the issue of criminality willarise continually during a biologicalincident, only interagency coopera-tion will ultimately determine if a

biological event requires a criminalinvestigation.



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management transitions to conse-quence management when a hi-

jacked plane has been broughtdown or when a bomb explodes.

The FBI manages the crisis while in progress, and FEMA handles theaftermath and coordinates the cleanup. While the consequence manage-ment roles of the federal agencies,firefighters, and local health au-thorities tend to be organized andfrequently exercised, expertsscarcely have studied the responseto biological incidents within theframework of civil aviation. Alllevels of authority have learned,

however, that WMD incidents in-volving civil aviation demandunique procedures.

Response to a WMD plight al-ways has life safety as the first pri-ority. Therefore, the response falls

primarily in the hands of localfirefighters, in concert with FEMAand other appropriate federal andlocal assets. However, follow-up

defend against such threats? Theaviation community only recently

began trying to answer these ques-tions and explore various options.

CONCLUSION

Within the foreseeable future, biological attacks against theUnited States and its interests are adistinct possibility. The events ofSeptember 11, 2001, and the result-ing anthrax cases prove that thisthreat against the United Statesremains real. Because of the histori-cal use of civil aviation as a terroristtarget, the aviation industry is athigh risk. This risk becomes

even greater when investiga-tors consider the accidental(nonterrorist) possibilities.

At present, civil aviation re-mains ill-prepared to deal withthese types of events. At the airportlevel, partnerships must be formedwith local, state, and federal lawenforcement and public health enti-ties. Agencies must examine theirstandard operating procedures forconformity and consistency. Air-

ports also must practice their re-sponses to WMD threats. Tabletopexercises should lead into planningfor full-scale exercises. Air carriersalso have a role in defending againstthese types of incidents beyondtheir involvement in exercises. Air-

plane crew training should includeinformation about WMD. Person-nel should know what procedures tofollow if a biological event occurs.Furthermore, airlines should de-velop and implement means to as-

sist with passenger tracking afterthe conclusion of flights.

Finally, the entire civil aviationcommunity (e.g., air carriers, air-

ports, Federal Aviation Administra-tion, and Transportation Security

responsibilities also exist for civilaviation. Record keeping, espe-cially in the wake of a biologicalevent, becomes critical. Following

the arrival of the aforementionedplane from Congo and its Canadianpassenger who was exhibiting signsof the hemorrhagic virus, the CDCfailed to obtain information on theindividual from the airline. As a re-sult, the CDC has begun workingwith the aviation industry to deter-mine ways of retrieving informationwhen necessary.8 More completeand archived passenger informationwill benefit the mitigation of a

WMD incident.Air carriers should examinetheir procedures and capabilitiesregarding WMD threats. The devas-tation brought on by biological at-tacks might be susceptible to aircarrier countermeasures. In whatways are aircraft vulnerable to

biological attacks? In what wayscan airlines reconfigure airplanes to



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Administration) should establish both preventive and countermea-sures against WMD. National-level

procedures focusing on best-risk

airports into which flights may bediverted should be considered.9

Federal agencies should closelycoordinate their efforts to combatWMD with local airports andair carriers. Additionally, partner-ship opportunities across thecivil aviation spectrum should

be explored. A better preparedand more coordinated responseis essential to providing safetyto the public against a WMD

threat.

Endnotes1 In the current context, this group includes

passenger and cargo carriers, but does notexpand into the general aviation community.General aviation response to biohazards is a

subject deserving further study, but will not beexamined in this article.

2 The second and third weapons of theWMD triad, chemical and radiological hazards,are not examined in this article. Given thepresent state of delivery systems, biologicalevents may be more likely to occur in a civilaviation context. Further, response protocols forchemical and radiological events are suffi-ciently unique and deserve separate treatment.

3 The phrase asymmetric threat hasbecome a call sign of counterterrorism thatmeans covert or nontraditional war operations.

4 Woman Falls Ill After Trip to Congo,Doctors Suspect Hemorrhagic Virus,Associated Press

, February 6, 2001.

5 Presidential Decision Directive-39.6 Drielak and Brandon, Weapons of Mass

Destruction (Springfield, IL: Charles C.Thomas, 2000), 60. By its very nature, aWMD incident will most likely involve many

different agencies, multiple disciplines andnumerous jurisdictionsall the involvedagencies contribute to the command andmanagement process by determining the overallgoals and objectives of the incident and injointly developing tactical objectives.

7 Ibid.8 The information requested concerned

passengers seated next to the stricken woman.The CDC ultimately obtained passengerinformation from U.S. Customs, whichprovided their declaration form.

9 According to the author, best-risk refersto locations where organizations and equip-ment needed to combat a WMD strike arepositioned.

he U.S. Department of Justices Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has announced that the adult U.S.correctional population reached a record of almost 6.6 million men and women at the end of 2001.

U.S. Correctional Population

T

Crime Data

This was an increase of 147,700 people from December 31, 2000.At the end of 2001, about 3.1 percent of the nations adult population, or 1 in every 32 adult

residents, were on probation or parole or were held in a prison or jail. The adult probation populationgrew 2.8 percent during 2001, an increase of 106,542 probationers. The nations parole populationincreased by 1 percent in 2001, or by 7,249 men and women.

Approximately 3 out of 4 probationers were under active supervision and were required toregularly report to a probation authority in person or by mail or telephone. An estimated 53 percent ofall probationers had been convicted of a felony, 45 percent of a misdemeanor, and 1 percent of otherinfractions, according to a BJS probation and parole bulletin. Approximately 25 percent were on

probation for a drug law violation and 18 percent for driving while intoxicated.Of the almost 2 million adults discharged from probation in 2001, more than 3 out of 5 suc-

cessfully met supervision conditions. About 13 percent were reincarcerated because of a violation of

parole conditions or a new criminal offense.The bulletin,Probation and Parole in the United States, 2001 (NCJ 195669) was written byBJS statistician Lauren E. Glaze. Single copies may be obtained by calling the BJS Clearinghouse at1-800-732-3277 or by accessing http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/ppus01.htm.

May 2003 / 5


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olice departments typically do not think ofusing marketing concepts when trying toP

improve their image. In the past, for-profit companiesand corporations have used marketing techniques toincrease customer satisfaction. But, police agencieseasily can adapt the concepts of business marketing tohelp them reach their customers (citizens) and educate

them about the many services that they provide.Marketing available police services (MAPS)1 is a

process whereby communities can learn what servicestheir law enforcement agencies offer to meet publicsafety needs and wants. In return for providing theseservices, the police department receives more positivecontacts, cooperation, and an improved image fromthe community that it serves. This proves true nomatter what type of population (e.g., college campus,city, county, or state).

Police services marketing attempts to attract newcustomers who are unaware of police services and to

keep a positive relationship with those individualswho already have had contact with the department.While reaching out to new people is important, it iseven more important to keep those people agencieshave contact with satisfied. Various research has

indicated that satisfied people tell their stories ofpolice contact to at least 3 other people, whereasdissatisfied individuals will tell, on average, 10 othersabout a negative experience with the police.

COMPONENTS

Marketing consists of understanding, creating,communicating, and delivering services to obtainmembers satisfaction. Adding each of these compo-nents together creates a marketing plan for success.

Departments must understand the makeup of theircommunities, as well as the needs and expectationsthat citizens have of their police services. Knowingthe diversity of the service population (e.g., age andnational origin) helps agencies define who they serve.Even understanding who passes through the commu-

nity at different times of the day can help determinewhat public safety needs exist. For example, if acommunity has a high school population of 1,500students who come from many different neighboringcommunities, law enforcement must consider provid-ing for their public safety needs while they are on theway to school, at school, and when they leave school.Or, a college campus police department might have asignificant Spanish-speaking segment of the student

population that would impact services by creating aneed for documents produced in both English andSpanish.

Once agencies define their service population,

they must survey their communities needs. Whatexpectations do citizens have as they relate to publicsafety issues? What services could the department

provide to meet concerns of community members?Creating a planned response can help answer thesequestions. Departments can focus on crime prevention

programs, hold community workshops, use focusbrochures, or take other steps to respond to theircommunities needs.

Once agencies develop plans, programs, and newservices, they must communicate these initiatives totheir constituents. A department can have many

services, but if no one knows about them, they wasteresources. Communication constitutes a vital linkbetween the police and the community, and it candevelop a positive relationship between the twoentities.

Marketing Available

Police ServicesThe MAPS ProgramBy Mark Fazzini

Focus on Police-Community Relations

Dee Zillmer


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May 2003 / 7

Finally, agencies must deliver police servicesto the public. In turn for the services, the policedepartments image will improve, and agencies willserve their communities more effectively.

THE MARKETING MIX

Today, the single most significant marketingdoctrine is the marketing mix, which encompassesall of the agencys tools that it uses to influence amarket segment to accomplish its objectives. Thesetactical tools are used to influence customers, and, inlaw enforcement, they can help realize the policedepartments goal of a positive image.

When determining the marketing mix for whichtools to use in a marketing plan, managers mustremain cognizant of the internal and external environ-ments of the organization. Neighborhood andcommunity groups may influence what services a

police department offers. Local newspapers andradio and television stations can carry news ofdepartment activities and services, as well as provideeditorial comments to influence public opinion of thedepartment.

Public relations, the single most important mass-promotions tool that significantly can impact thedepartments image, has the ability to create favorable

publicity, build on thedepartments image,and prevent or handle

rumors and incorrectinformation. There-fore, law enforcementagencies must have anexcellent workingrelationship with thelocal media. Positivemedia stories are freemarketing ads aboutthe department. Themore trusting a rela-tionship a departmenthas with reporters, the

better it will be able towork with them duringtimes of crisis.

Most services provided by police departments areintangible. When possible, the department shouldlook for ways to leave a tangible product behind. Forexample, officers can leave brochures, patches, rulers,

frisbees, stuffed animals, and other departmentalmemorabilia with citizens.

Police services design, variety, public relations,advertising, location, and quality form much of anagencys marketing mix. An agencys use of technol-ogy, collaboration with other partners, management

perspective, and selection of staff members also proveimportant considerations of the mix.

Use of Technology

In todays technological society, the Internetshould play an important part in any MAPS plan. A

departments Web site can offer services reachinglarge groups or providing for one-on-one contact.Some possible uses of a Web site include sharingdepartment information, crime statistics, and safetytips; providing opportunities for citizen feedback;adding a silent witness program; and using e-mail asa vehicle for communication with the public. Videoclips from a departments Web site can serve as aneasy way to have community members see and hearwhat it has to offer. The Internet is an economical and

After becoming the colleges police chief in December 2000, I metwith constituents from different departments. In these meetings, I advisedthem of the services the department provides and learned that manyemployees had questions about what number to dial for emergency policeassistance. Several people thought that they should dial 911, some

believed 9-911 was the correct number, and, yet, other employees thoughtthat they should dial extension 2000, which is the number to the PublicSafety Police Department on campus. As a result of these meetings, wedeveloped red stickers with the words Public Safety Emergency Dial2000" on them. Then, student employees searched each building andattached one of the stickers to every phone on campus. Our departmentreceived a tremendous amount of praise for this idea, which improved thestaffs ability to contact the police department in an emergency.

Case Example


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8/ FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

valuable tool for reaching out to the communityand beyond.

Marketing Alliances

Small departments often face difficulties whenoffering services that take a significant amount ofresources, but they may find that collaboration withother departments can result in an attractive solutionto the problem. Businesses consider this collaborationas creating marketing alliances. One such service isthe formation of a citizen police academy (CPA) thatresidents attend for several weeks to learn how policeoperations work in the commu-nity.2 Combining resources andstaff efforts from one or moredepartments can make this service

become a reality. Members of eachparticipating departments commu-nity should have the opportunity toattend the CPA.

The Management Perspective

For any MAPS plan to suc-ceed, it must have support fromupper management, from the chiefof police to the command staff.Supervisors should mandate thattheir line officers deal with everyone with a customerservice approach; they should treat everyone with

respect and dignity, even during arrests.No marketing plan can be successful withoutappropriate financial support. Therefore, departmentalmanagement support can help ensure that financialresources, through the budget process, are focusedtoward marketing efforts.

In addition to concentrating on quality services,managers must use internal marketing strategies andtrain all employees who interact with the public todeliver quality customer service. Departments alsomust have a good service recovery plan, whichfocuses on turning a complainant into a contentedcustomer.

Police administrators should take advantage ofevery opportunity to become a willing participant inlocal law enforcement and community organizations.Joining committees and participating in communitygroups increases the departments exposure andcontacts.

The Marketing Staff

With any marketing effort, only employees witha positive attitude should reach out to the community

and customers. To select someone for marketingefforts who does not express an interest in workingwith people can result in disaster. In fact, selectingthe wrong officer can create the opposite of thedepartments intended effect and, possibly, lead to anegative impression about the department and itsemployees.

Regardless of rank, those officers who havepositive attitudes, enjoy public speaking, can think

on their feet when asked questions,and present a positive appearancefor the department prove idealcandidates to work on marketing

efforts. Adding bilingual staff tothe resource bin also can helpdepartments. Many parts of thecountry are experiencing a growthof minority groups; therefore,reaching out to them only en-hances a departments marketingefforts.

Finally, while criminalswill not consider contact with the

police as a positive experience,it must remain one in which officers treat them fairlyand with respect. This approach reduces complaints,results in fewer lawsuit-related legal expenses, and,

possibly, brings more cooperation from arrestees.

CONCLUSION

The marketing available police services planfocuses on providing citizens with a positive experi-ence. The concept can constitute an important compo-nent to improving and maintaining the image of a

police department. For the marketing plan to beeffective, agencies must understand, create, communi-cate, and deliver their services to community resi-dents. Additionally, managers can use various tools in

their marketing mix, such as the use of technology,collaboration with other agencies, and the appropriateselection of staff members.

While preventing and solving crimes is themainstay of every police agency, knowing whatcommunity members expect beyond crime solving,

Once agenciesdefine their service

population, theymust survey their

communities needs.


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and then providing those services, can prove just asimportant for positive community relations with

police. Implementing a police services marketing plancan be the mechanism to do so.

Endnotes1 The author coined this phrase to describe the process he uses in his

department.2 For descriptive accounts of CPA programs, see Elizabeth M. Bonello

and Joseph A. Schafer, Citizen Police Academies: Do They Do MoreThan Entertain?FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, November 2002,19-23; Giant A. Aryani, Terry D. Garrett, and Carl L. Alsabrook,

Chief Fazzini heads the College of DuPage Police Depart-ment in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Citizen Police Academy: Success Through Community Partnership,FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, May 2000, 16-21; Ellen G. Cohn, TheCitizen Police Academy: A Recipe for Improving Police-CommunityRelations,Journal of Criminal Justice 24 (1996): 265-271; Martin AlanGreenberg, Citizen Police Academies,FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,

August 1991, 10-13; Ronald E. Ferguson, The Citizen Police Academy,FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, September 1985, 5-7.

Unusual Weapon

Handmade Blowgun

fficers with the Vacaville, California,Police Department confiscated thisO

weapon, which had been made from a brokenauto shade. The blowgun measured approxi-mately 36 inches in length and was equippedwith a front sight that was painted red. A

folding rear sight was manufactured andattached approximately 10 inches behind thefront sight with a sheet-metal screw. A pieceof foam had been attached with electricaltape to form a mouthpiece. The 20 metalspokes used to turn the shade hardware had

been converted into 4-inch metal darts. Thetip of the darts had been filed to a sharp

point, and the end of the darts had beenequipped with a yellow plasticchute to catch the air when

blown.

May 2003 / 9

Submitted by the Vacaville,California, Police Department


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Bulletin Reports

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that it is awarding over $36 millionto the 50 states, District of Columbia, and three territories to improve the qualityand accessibility of the nations criminal history record systems. States can use thefunds for a variety of purposes, including to strengthen their criminal recordsystems to support the nations efforts to reduce crime and fight terrorism.

Funding, which is approved under the U.S. Department of Justices NationalCriminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), is administered by the Office ofJustice Programs (OJP) Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The goal of NCHIP is toimprove the nations public safety by enhancing and upgrading the nations crimi-nal history records, which are used for background checks for firearms purchases,criminal sentencing, and employment in sensitive jobs. Since the program wasinitiated in 1995, the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded nearly $391 million

to the states and territories, which has led to a 23 percent increase in the number ofcriminal history records held nationwide and a 40 percent increase in the number ofautomated records available tolaw enforcement.

A list of projects under-taken by states with previous

NCHIP awards is containedon the OJP Web site at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/nchip.htm. Additional informa-tion about BJS, NCHIP, orother OJP programs can befound on the OJP Web siteat http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

National Criminal HistoryImprovement Program, 2002

Mediation Programs

Mediating Citizen Complaints Against Police Officers: AGuide for Police and Community Leaders addresses the imple-mentation, expectations, and evaluation of mediation programs.The mediation process focuses on solving problems by under-standing the conflict and the stakeholders involved, not on

placing blame. Mediation programs have been successful insettling disputes, but implementing them can be difficult. ThisOffice of Community Oriented Policing Services guide bySamuel Walker, Carol Archbold, and Leigh Herbst examineshow to deal with implementation obstacles and how to over-come police and citizen resistance to a mediation program. Italso reviews a successful mediation process for communitiesconsidering developing a mediation program. Key issues, suchas eligibility, cultural barriers, and creating a level playing field

between the police and those involved in the conflict, arediscussed. For availability and ordering information, contact theU.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 800-421-6770 oraccess the guide electronically at http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/

pdf/e04021486web.pdf.



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The Public Safety Officers Benefits (PSOB) program and the Public Safety Officers EducationalAssistance (PSOEA) program provide valuable benefits to the families of public safety officers whosedeaths or permanent and total disabilities are the direct result of a traumatic injury sustained in the lineof duty. The U.S. Department of Justices Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) manages both programs.

The PSOB program provides a one-time financial benefit to the eligible survivors of public safetyofficers. The program offers peace of mind to men and women seeking careers in public safety andmakes a strong statement about the value American society places on the contributions of those whoserve their communities in potentially dangerous circumstances.

Initially, the PSOB program provided benefits only to state and local law enforcement officers andfirefighters. However, in 1984, it was expanded to include federal law enforcement officers andfirefighters, and, since 1986, it has covered federal, state, and local public rescue squads and ambu-lance crews. PSOB program benefits are not subject to federal income tax, federal estate tax, orattachment by creditors. State and local benefits must not be reduced by benefits received under thePSOB Act, and the PSOB program benefit is not reduced by any benefit received at the state or locallevel.

The PSOEA program was established in 1998 to provide educational assistance to spouses andchildren of police, fire, and emergency public safety personnel killed or permanently and totallydisabled in the line of duty. PSOEA program benefits may be used solely to defray educational ex-

penses, including tuition, room and board, books, supplies, and education-related fees. Assistanceunder the PSOEA program is available for 45 months for full-time education or training or for a

proportional period of time for a part-time program.For additional information on these two programs, contact the Office of Benefits, Bureau of

Justice Assistance, 810 Seventh Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20531, telephone 888-744-6513, fax202-616-0314, e-mail:[email protected]. To obtain a copy of the July 2001 programs factsheets, access the Bureau of Justice Assistances Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA.

Public Safety Officers Benefits andEducational Assistance Programs

Bulletin Reportsis an edited collection of criminal justice studies,reports, and project findings. Send your material for considerationto: FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Room 209, Madison Building,FBI Academy, Quantico, VA 22135. (NOTE: The material in thissection is intended to be strictly an information source and shouldnot be considered an endorsement by the FBI for any product or

service.)

May 2003 / 11


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t a time when many com-munities, through theirelected officials, are ask-A

ing law enforcement agencies to domore with less, using grant funds tosupplement departmental budgets

provides a perfect route towardachieving their goals. Policing is anexpensive endeavor, sometimes ac-counting for as much as 20 to 30

percent of a citys entire budget,with the police department often

dedicating 90 to 97 percent of itsbudget to salaries and benefits. Thatleaves very few dollars for equip-ment or overtime to embark uponnew initiatives. Grant programs,

however, can provide a source ofrelief for fiscally strapped cities andtowns. Whether their law enforce-ment agencies are large or small, allcommunities can benefit from usinggrants.1

During the 1970s, the Law En-forcement Assistance Administra-tion (LEAA) began establishinggrant programs. The LEAA pro-gram sought to improve the infra-structure and to bring about change

within law enforcement agencies.Purchasing equipment, sharingtechnology, hiring personnel, andincreasing training were the themes.Although much has changed since

the 1970s, much has not. Thesesame themes continue to dominatemost program strategies.

Improvement and change repre-sent the key considerations of mostgrants. Whether a departments cur-rent methods and operations needimprovement or its practices needto change to conform to contempo-rary standards, grants serve to

bridge the gap between imaginationand practice.

Receiving grant funds can prove advantageous. A combina-tion of hiring initiatives and equip-ment purchases will improve ser-vice delivery while bolstering a

Writing a WinningGrant ProposalBy JON M. SHANE

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May 2003 / 13

Whether their lawenforcement agenciesare large or small, all

communities canbenefit from using

grants.

Captain Shane is the commanding officer of the Policy and PlanningDivision of the Newark, New Jersey, Police Department.

departments image and reputation.Moreover, the public is the indirectrecipient of the grant award. Adepartments grantsmanship can

have a profound effect on crime, thefear of crime, correctional measuresand alternatives, juvenile delin-quency, and the overall quality oflife for every citizen the agencyserves.

Conversely, disadvantages alsocan occur when applying for fund-ing. The process can be labor inten-sive and involve conducting re-search, designing charts, obtainingletters of support, gathering en-

dorsements, and forming partner-ships. Then, should funding beawarded, the department must ad-here to special conditions set by thefunding source. Finally, the fundingsource monitors and tracks thegrant. Did the department meet itsintended goals? Did the departmentsupplant?2 Is the department at riskfor an audit? The funding sourcealso requires a myriad of differentforms and reportsusually on amonthly, quarterly, and annual ba-

sisall due amid the departmentsregular work, of course.

All too frequently, criminal jus-tice agencies find themselves sepa-rated from the grant process be-cause of inexperience. Where do wefind the funds? How do we apply?Whats expected of us? These ques-tions come from allagency execu-tives seeking grant funds for thefirst few times. The assumption isthat when the chief says to thedeputy chief, I want you to applyfor this grant. Just write it up andget it done, miraculously, the fund-ing source will select thatproposalover the 2,000 other proposals it

receives. Not so, grants are bothcompetitive and often discretion-ary. To the uninitiated, writingcompetitive discretionary grants is

intimidating. The entire researchand writing process often appears torequire a creative genius and maynot result in an award. However, ifdepartments follow some basic

principles, they can learn not onlywhere to seek funding but how towrite a winning grant proposal andimprove their prospects for obtain-ing some much-needed funds.

FUNDING SOURCES

Departments can contact a vari-ety of funding sources, from federaland state agencies to private corpo-rations. The most overlookedsource is the private sector. Manycompanies have a philanthropic ex-tension willing to fund projects and

programs that represent theircompanys interests.3 Anothersource is the National Criminal Jus-tice Reference Service (NCJRS), a

federally sponsored informationclearinghouse for people around thecountry and the world involvedwith research, policy, and practice

related to criminal and juvenile jus-tice and drug control.4

When contacting the fundingsource, the department should askfor an RFP (request for proposal),the official announcement from thesource indicating the availability ofgrant funds. The funding sourcemay have many RFPs available. Ifso, a department should specifywhich RFPs it needs, such as onesfor hiring personnel, purchasing

equipment, or creating a special ini-tiative for a target population. If thefunding source states that it doesnot have an RFP that fits a specific

program, then the departmentshould request all available RFPs.Sometimes, the person receivingthe call may not have sufficienttraining to interpret the request,

possess a criminal justice back-ground, or fully understand what


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the caller actually means. Once thedepartment receives the RFPs, itcan digest the individual programsand determine whether funding is

applicable.

LIFE OF A GRANT

The life of a grant begins withthe decision to apply for funding.Usually, a member of the commandstaff or the chief executive first cre-ates the interest (e.g., the desire toform a new anticrime task force, toenhance services for domestic vio-lence victims, or to implement anovertime program for DWI). Once

officials determine that their cur-rent operating budget is insufficientto harness the idea, the grant pro-cess begins.

Because the funding processcan prove labor intensive and in-timidating and depending on the

jurisdictions form of governmentand the level of bureaucracy, thegrant development team may face avery cumbersome application pro-cess or, instead, one that flowsrather easily. The typical grant ap-

plication process involves about 15steps that represent approximately 4to 6 months of effort. In most situa-tions, a department spends approxi-mately 30 to 50 percent of the timewaiting for the funding source toreview the proposal. Departmentsmust remember that if the fundingsource is a government entity, it re-ceives hundreds, possibly thou-sands, of applications from agen-cies around the country. The sourcemust account for each proposal, as-sign each one to a reviewer, andensure that each proposal completesthe review process (i.e., gets ac-cepted or rejected for funding)

before, finally, making the awardannouncement.

Whatever the process, the grantdevelopment team should not be-

come discouraged. The rewards, both personal and organizational,are tremendous. A great sense ofaccomplishment occurs when theteam submits the final draft requestand receives the award letter con-gratulating the department.

experiences to using the knowledgeof others. Therefore, grant writersshould consider conducting inter-views. First, they should define

the purpose of the interview. After preliminarily researching thetopic, they should select potentialinterviewees, targeting those at thetop (e.g., executives, administra-tors, division heads, section chiefs,and directors). Such individualslikely will have a broad understand-ing of the policies, issues, and pro-cedures on the topic in question.Often, they can provide grant writ-ers with specific information neces-

sary to the proposal, and, if not, theyat least can identify the correct per-son to contact.

Probably, the most convenientand extensive way to gather materi-als is via the Internet, using metasearch engines5 to reduce theamount of time spent researchingthe topic. Moreover, every accred-ited college or university has a Website. Also, NCJRS and the NationalCouncil on Crime and Delinquency(NCCD) collection, along with lo-

cal libraries reference sections, provide other places to assemblematerials. Finally, research groupsdedicated to improving policing canoffer indispensable information togrant writers.6

SUPPORTING DATA

After gathering resource mate-rials and beginning the writing

process, it then becomes necessaryto garner support for the idea.

Support for the program can comefrom a variety of origins, such asauthorities (subject-matter experts),concrete examples, or statisticalillustrations.

INFORMATIONCOLLECTION

Before beginning the writing process, the department shouldgather sources of information andconduct a literature review on thetopic. An excellent starting place isthe grant writers own knowledgeand experience. Life experience(particularly within a persons pro-fession) provides riches from whichto draw information. The variousassignments grant writers may haveheld throughout their careers, alongwith their educational pursuits orother jobs, all contribute to their

personal libraries of information.In addition, a natural corol-

lary flows from using personal

Support for theprogram cancome from a varietyof origins, such as

authorities, concreteexamples, or statistical

illustrations.


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May 2003 / 15

Authoritative Support

For nearly every program that a

department can conceive, an au-thoritative documented source ex-ists that will support the concept.7

Grant writers use authoritative support when they cite respected au-thors or publications on the topicunder consideration. This demon-strates that the department is not

just espousing a theory or advanc-ing a supposition but showing thatrecognized authorities have studiedthe topic scientifically or proven thetheory. Most people are influenced

by the testimony of others whendealing with unfamiliar topics.The reader (in this case, thereview team) will tend to respect thedirect quotations or paraphrased

general principle of the proposal.By using a hypothetical example,

the grant writer creates a realisticscenario related directly to the proposal and captivates the reader(again, the review team). Then, byincorporating real statistics into theexample, the writer gives the per-ception that this undoubtedly couldhappen in real life. Indeed, the grantwritershoulduse statistics to sup-

port a hypothetical example so thatit does not seem too far-fetched.

Statistical Illustrations

Because this is an age of statis-tics, expressing what actually ismeant numerically often gives oth-ers a sense of security in their ownknowledge. It also affords the

statements of authorities because ofthe special knowledge or experi-

ence that these individuals possessabout the topic in question.

Concrete Examples

Research has shown thatvivid, concrete examples have moreimpact on [readers] beliefs and ac-tions than any other kind of support-ing material.8 With examples,ideas become specific, personal,and lively.9 Grant writers can usetwo types of examples, factual andhypothetical. A factual example de-

scribes a true incident as it relates tothe proposal. A hypothetical ex-ample, on the other hand, depicts animaginary situation (often, fiction

based on fact) that relates to the

Sample Goals and Objectives

Goals

To reduce narcotics complaints by 25 percent within the first 6 months

To secure guilty pleas or convictions in 80 percent of all cases

Objectives

To deploy the Tactical Narcotics Team, which will use covert surveillance techniques withinthe target area, for the first 8 weeks

To deploy the Special Investigation Unit, which will conduct undercover (UC) and confidentialinformant (CI) narcotics buy operations within the target area, for the first 12 weeks

To deploy the Special Investigation Unit, which will apply for search warrants at locationswithin the target area in response to the UC and CI intelligence, throughout the duration of the

program

To employ the Emergency Response Team, which will execute all search and arrest warrantswithin the target area, throughout the duration of the program

To assign a special narcotics prosecutor, who will investigate and prosecute all individualcases as part of a RICO scheme when the case involves a firearm or the weight of the contrabandseized equals or exceeds 1 U.S. pound, throughout the duration of the program

To assign uniformed patrol officers, who will conduct situational crime prevention operationsfor those locations within the target area that are responsible for 10 or more calls for service,during the last 15 weeks of the program


17/35


reader the opportunity to visualizethe intensity of what is being said orto feel the impact of a particular

problem. A widely shared belief in-

fers that when used properly, statis-tics offer an effective way to clarifyand support ideas. To avoid fallingvictim to unreliable statistics, grantwriters should ask two questions: 1)Are the statistics from a reliablesource? and 2) Are the statistics rep-resentative? If the answer to eitherof these questions is no, then thewriters risk misrepresenting whatthey wish to portray.

Primarily, grant writers should

use statistics to quantify ideas andgive them numerical precision.Whenever possible, the writersshould include visual aids to clarifystatistical trends. A simple piechart, time line, or bar graph willshow the relationship between atime period and the particular socialcondition.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

The goal of grant writing is toreceive fundingbut not at any

cost. Writing, a form of power, car-ries a heavy ethical burden. Peoplewill be influenced and persuaded by

presentation. This is how onedepartments proposal receivesfunding over the others. The ques-tion of ethics in grant writing usu-ally centers around the writersgoals and methods.

Grant writers must make surethat their goals are ethically correct.As criminal justice professionalsand (probably) government repre-

sentatives, grant writers who laudworthless or wasteful programs

place their departments on shakyethical ground. Similar caution ex-tends to the writers methods as

well. Even if the goals are ethicallycorrect, grant writers are not beingethical if they employ cheap andcareless methods. Basically, this

signifies that the ends do not jus-tify the means. Writers should re-view five recognized consider-ations for ethical grant writing.

hasty generalizations, assertingcasual connections where nonereally exist, using invalid orabsurd analogies/examples,

and yielding to prejudices.4) Sound evidence: A grantthat is awarded is not full offluff. It contains real circum-stances supported by qualified,objective sources and avoids

plagiarizing.

5) Plagiarizing: Generally,grant proposals are a collabo-ration between the writers andtheir sources. To be fair andethical, the writer must ac-

knowledge borrowing anotherpersons ideas and words bydocumenting the source. To

borrow without proper docu-mentation constitutes a form ofdishonesty known as plagia-rism. Plagiarism occurs in twoforms: 1) borrowing someoneelses ideas, information, orlanguage without documentingthe source and 2) documentingthe source but paraphrasing the

sources language too closely,without using quotation marksto indicate that the writer

borrowed the words andphrases.10 Writers shouldconsult a reputable writinghandbook and give creditwhere credit is due. In short, ifthey use another personsmaterial, they must cite it.

WRITING PROCESS

Needless to say, the process of

actually writing the grant will testthe writers determination and cre-ativity, but can coalesce into a com-

prehensible, meaningful, and per-suasive document that brings

1) Subject awareness: Grantwriters have an obligation tothemselves, the grantingagency, and the public theyserve. They must understandthe program for which thedepartment is applying and

how it relates to the city, thedepartment, and its mission orvision statement. Service is thecredo, not self-service.

2) Honesty: Writers mustremain cognizant of thetemptation to distort facts andfigures for their own purposes.Responsible writers do notfalsify facts, present fewfacts as representative of thewhole picture, or use tentative

findings as conclusiveevidence.

3) Valid reasoning: Respon-sible grant writers take affir-mative steps to avoid making

Primarily, grantwriters should use

statistics to quantifyideas and give

them numericalprecision.


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May 2003 / 17

money into the department. Grantwriters are selling somethingaconcept, a belief in their cities anddepartments. They must convince

people to invest in them becausethey have a worthwhile service tooffer. Therefore, grant writersshould draft their proposals with thetwo basic principles of presentationand content at the forefront.

Presentation

Presentation probably repre-sents the single most salient featureof grant packages because no sec-ond chances exist in first impres-sions. Therefore, the grant writershould

create the document on aquality word processing

program, neverhandwritethe proposal;

put headers and footers in thedocument and number each

page;

use letterhead with originalsignatures and never fold orcrease the paper;

print in color, but do not makethe document gaudy with toomany different colors;

include charts and graphs todepict data;

organize the document logi-cally and according to RFPrequirements;

grammar check and spellcheck the document and haveit proofread by another person;

bind the document in qualitymaterial; and, most of all,

follow the instructions offeredby the funding source.

Content

Content includes the language,grammar, and punctuation that thewriter employs. Words are the tools

of the writing craft. Writers mustchoose the right words for the taskthey want to accomplish. Theyshould not use words unless they

employ all of the common punctua-tion marks, including the period,comma, exclamation point, ques-tion mark, semicolon, and colon.

PROPER ORGANIZATION

The funding source sets thesubstantive provisions of the grant.These will vary among sources, butall have the basic requirements ofthe problem statement, goals andobjectives, program strategy, and

budget narrative. Other substantiverequirements that funding sourcesmay desire include managementstructure, organizational capability,an abstract, a curriculum vitae ofeach participant, matching funds re-quirement (local match sources),

projected milestones or accom- plishments, geographic location, astatement of the programs antici-

pated contribution to criminal jus-tice policy and practice, the

programs continuation and reten-tion, additional resource commit-ments, and a statement of the

programs contribution to thestates strategy (Byrne formula).11

Because many departmentsseeking grant funds do not follow a

predefined format, their applica-tions may not flow logically. By fol-lowing some simple steps, however,grant writers can ensure that their

proposals have a smooth continuity,thereby increasing their chances ofobtaining an award.

Cover

Grant writers should design a bold and attractive cover that in-

cludes the name of the grant, a sub-title if necessary, the names of boththe grant program and the fundingsource, the date of submission, the

know their meanings. If uncertain,writers should check the dictionary.They also should vary their words,

but not use complicated ones, ex-cept when explaining or clarifying

difficult subjects (e.g., DNA testingprocedures, forensic science mate-rials, or computer equipment).Writers always should use bias-freelanguage. They should not refer toall members of an occupationalgroup with a masculine pronoun.Instead, they should say he orshe orchange the noun to plural and usethe pronoun they. Writers shouldwork with the eight parts ofspeechnouns, pronouns, verbs,adjectives, adverbs, prepositions,

conjunctions, and interjectionsrecognized as the traditional partsof English grammar. Finally, writ-ers should ensure that they correctly

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city and state, and the departmentsname. They should use graphics andcolor to heighten the appearance ofthe cover.

Table of Contents

Grant writers always should in-clude a table of contents so review-ers can refer easily to a specific pro-vision without fumbling througheach page. They should use an out-line format and indent the subsec-tions for clarity.

Abstract

Some funding sources requirean abstract, a one-page descriptionof what the program proposes to doand the expected results. It summa-rizes the important points of the

program and highlights the key as-pects of the problem statement, theprogram description, and the goalsand objectives.

Problem Statement

The problem statement is thebedrock upon which all else rests. Ifno problem exists, the department

needs no funding. Grant writersshould set a historical perspectivethat leads from the beginning of the

problem, through different time pe-riods, and up to the current condi-tion. If it is a crime problem, insofaras possible, they should make a cor-relation between the crime problemand an underlying criminologicaltheory (e.g., rational choice, routineactivities, social disorganization, orconflict). Also, writers should iden-tify the antecedents that preexisted

or currently coexist with the crimeproblem. They should use statisticsand a variety of charts to bolstertheir claims and extract percent-ages, show rates, and add trendlines.

Goals and Objectives

Often used interchangeably,goals and objectives, in fact, aretwo distinct criteria that must be

met. A goal is a broad general state-ment explaining what the grant pro-gram is expected to accomplish.Goal statements often start with anaction indicator, such as to orwill

violations, to expedite incom-ing prisoners, to conduct aworkload analysis). Theassignment, an action, explains

the specific task (or responsi-bility) required of the subjectin question.

3) The condition denotes thegiven circumstances underwhich the task must be per-formed. Conditions, eitherenvironmental or situational(e.g., in the field, at thedomestic violence advocacycenter, in the county jail),explain how, where, and with

what the assignment is to bedone. Because the conditionrepresents the given circum-stances under which theassignment will be performed,the objective often containsthat word (e.g., Given acellular telephone, the neigh-

borhood patrol officer will....).

4) The standard specifies howwellthe task must be accom-

plished. The standard defines

what the expected or antici-pated results will be (e.g.,without error, with 90 percentaccuracy, according to ap-

proved agency policy andprocedure, within the firstmonth).

Program Strategy

The program strategy is the spe-cific method or activities that thedepartment will employ for the du-ration of the grant program. In this

section, the grant writer must pro-vide a clear statement of how thedepartment is going to organize andadminister the project to meet theintended goals and objectives. Thewriters should confer with the

(e.g., to reduce inmate population,to decrease fear of crime, willstrengthen community partner-ships, will minimize the temptationto join a gang). By contrast, objec-tives are specific, precise, and exact

statements that lead step by step tothe achievement of the goals.Four elements of an objectivesubject, assignment, condition, andstandardmust be met for it to bemeasurable.

1) The subject represents whois tasked with doing something(e.g., the tactical narcoticsteam, the patrol division, themunicipal court system). Thesubject is the element or

person that will be responsiblefor accomplishing what the

program is designed to do.

2) The assignment depictswhatthe subject is to do (e.g.,to effect arrests for curfew

The goal of grantwriting is to receive

fundingbut not atany cost.


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May 2003 / 19

National Institute ofCorrections (NIC)

1-800 995-6423http://www.nicic.org/

Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)1-800-421-6770http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/

Office of Juvenile Justice andDelinquency Prevention (OJJDP)

202-307-5911http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/

The Office of Community OrientedPolicing Services (COPS Office)

1-800-421-6770 or202-616-3031http://www.usdoj.gov/

Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)1-800-627-6872http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/

National Institute of Justice (NIJ)1-800-851-3420http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/

Contact the states administrativeagency for assistance. For example, in

New Jersey, it is the State Division ofCriminal Justice, and, in California, it isthe Office of Criminal Justice Planning.

The states administrative agency isresponsible for passing through federalfunds to local jurisdictions. Often, the

federal government does not make fundsdirectly available to the local jurisdiction.Instead, the federal government passesthe money to the administrative agency,which then disseminates it to the local

jurisdictions.A significant source of funding for

programs on a state level is the EdwardByrne Memorial State and Local LawEnforcement Assistance Formula GrantProgram (Byrne Formula Grant). Contactthe states administrative agency to obtaina copy of this program.

There are thousands of privatefoundations that fund hundreds of

program areas each year. Besides theInternet or the library as a researchmechanism, companies, such as Re-search Grant Guides (P.O. Box 1214,Loxahatchee, FL 33470, 561-795-6129),

publish resource guides to assist agen-

cies in targeting only those foundationsawarding programs in a particulargeographical area.

Such guides are extremely useful.First, they are categorized so agenciesonly need to review the guide for thecategory for which they are interested(e.g., equipment grants, building grants,social service grants). Then, they arearranged by state, further organizingeach guide into a comprehensibleformat.

Federal

Funding Sources

PrivateState


21/35


various departmental elements in-volved in carrying out the plan andidentify what each is prepared tocommit (e.g., 15 police officers

from the drug squad, 1 municipal prosecutor dedicated to the pro-gram, 5 street sweepers from thesanitation department for neighbor-hood clean up, and 3 drug and alco-hol counselors from social ser-vices). If required by the RFP, thegrant writer must identify specificindividuals who, by virtue of train-ing and experience, will carry out

portions of the program and attachtheir resumes. In short, this section

requires that the writer states themeans that the department will useto achieve the ends.

Budget Narrative

The budget narrative details acomprehensive itemization and ex-

planation of the costs incurred fromthe administration and implementa-tion of the program. Budgeted ex-

penses must be reasonable, allow-able, and cost-effective for theactivities proposed in the program

strategy. The budget narrative alsomust describe and explain how each

particular item was calculated.Typical budget categories include

personnel, fringe benefits, travel,equipment, supplies, contracts,utilities, construction, indirectcosts, and consultants. When creat-ing the budget, the department mustnot overlook one important issuethe budget must be in proportion tothe goals and objectives. Often, thegoals of the project far exceed thefunds being requested, thus makingthe goals unattainable. This isknown as the reasonableness re-quirement of the budget.

Appendix

Often, a grant application has apage restriction limiting the narra-tive portion. If this is the case, writ-

ers should include an appendix thatcontains all of the charts, tables, andsupporting documents. They shouldnot waste valuable space in the ac-tual narrative section, but appendall supporting materials and use an

in-text citation (e.g., see chart 1 inappendix). In this way, writers caninclude organizational charts set-ting forth specific elements, flow-

charts depicting a particular pro-cess, Gantt charts12 denoting asequence of events and milestones,and additional statistical data. A va-riety of off-the-shelf, user-friendlysoftware applications exist for cre-ating charts and diagrams. These

programs can illustrate complex processes and strategies and canpresent ideas and information withgreater impact through the power ofclear visual communication.

CONCLUSIONWhenever criminal justice

agencies are tasked with addressinga problem, they should consider the

grant process as a viable solution.They can use grants to start newinitiatives or supplement existingones. Funding sources disperse mil-

lions of federal, state, and privatefunds every year, but agencies haveto enter the process to win theaward.

If grant writers apply the basic principles of researching, writing,and organizing to the process, theywill add strength and credibility totheir applications. And, once theaward letter comes congratulatingthe agency on winning the grant,they can proclaim proudly that their

efforts directly contributed to suc-cessfully gaining some much-needed funds for their agency tocreate or maintain quality programsto safeguard their community.

Endnotes

1 Since 1993, the author has sought andreceived nearly $40 million in federal and statefunding for his agency and community.

2 Grant funds always must supplement thecitys budget, not supplant the previouslyauthorized budget. Supplanting can occur in

several ways, most commonly when the agencyuses grant funds in place ofpreviouslyappropriated funds. For example, a city hasappropriated $3 million for vehicles. Its policedepartment then receives a grant for $3 millionand purchases vehicles from grant funds anddoes not buy any vehicles from the previouslybudgeted funds. The department justsup-plantedthe original funds with the grant funds.This always is impermissible and may result inthe city having to return that portion of thefunds that was supplanted. Other more subtleways of supplanting also can occur. If cities arenot certain about whether they are supplanting,they should contact the funding sources andpose their scenarios to them.

3 A project, usually short in duration, has anarrow purpose (e.g., to computerize thedepartment or to replace the departments fleet).Normally long in duration, a program is asystem of opportunities designed to meet a

Departments cancontact a variety offunding sources, fromfederal and state

agencies to privatecorporations.


22/35

social need (e.g., a quality-of-life issue or anauto-theft-suppression effort). Privatecompanies enjoy associating their names withprojects and programs that reflect their business(e.g., insurance companies often donate

vehicles, while computer firms providehardware and software).

4 For more information, contact NCJRS athttp://www.ncjrs.orgor at 800-851-3420.

5 A meta search engine, an Internet searchengine of search engines, accesses severalother Internet search engines at the same timefor the information requested. This covers moreterritory with one request as opposed to havingto go through each individual search engine.

6 For example, the Police Foundation, anindependent and unique resource for policing,acts as a catalyst for change and advocate fornew ideas and has a Web site at http://www.policefoundation.org. Also, the PoliceExecutive Research Forum (PERF), a national

membership organization of progressive policeexecutives from the largest city, county, andstate law enforcement agencies, is dedicated toimproving policing and advancing professional-ism through research and involvement in public

policy debate. Its Web site is http://www.policeforum.org. Both organizations haveconducted studies, such as The Newark FootPatrol Experiment, The Kansas City PreventivePatrol Experiment,Racially Biased Policing: A

Principled Response, and The Police Responseto Gangs: Case Studies of Five Cities, and havecompiled publications on preparing grantproposals.

7 For example, if the program is a patrolaugmentation program, grant writers couldconsider authors, such as Charles D. Hale orTony Pate; for a community policing program,they might try authors Robert Trojanowicz,James Q. Wilson, and George L. Kelling; for aproblem-solving or situational crime preventionprogram, they could review works by Ronald V.Clarke, Marcus Felson, or Herman Goldstein;for a juvenile justice program, they mightconsider authors John T. Whitehead and StevenP. Lab; and for a supervision program, they

could look at works by Nathan F. Iannone.These individuals represent some of the mostinfluential academics and practitioners whohave used scientific methods to lend credibilityto the social sciences, particularly policing.

8 Thomas R. Kobella, Jr., PersuadingTeachers to Reexamine the InnovativeElementary Science Programs of Yesterday:The Effect of Anecdotal Versus Data Sum-mary,Journal of Research in Science

Teaching23 (1986): 437-449.9 For example, the Bible is an extraordinary

source of examples where stories, parables, andanecdotes make abstract principles clear andcompelling.

10 Diana Hacker, The Bedford Handbook forWriters (New York, NY: St. Martins Press,1991).

11 Edward Byrne Memorial State and LocalLaw Enforcement Assistance Formula Grants,Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of JusticeAssistance, U.S. Department of Justice,Washington, DC 20531; contact the State andLocal Assistance Division at 202-305-2088 oraccess http://www.usdoj.gov.

12 In 1917, Henry L. Gantt, an American

engineer and social scientist, developed ahorizontal bar chart as a production control toolto provide a graphical illustration of a schedulethat helps to plan, coordinate, and track specifictasks in a project.

T heFBI Law Enforcement Bulletin staff invitesyou to communicate with us via e-mail. OurInternet address is [email protected] .We would like to know your thoughts on

contemporary law enforcement issues. Wewelcome your comments, questions, and

suggestions about the magazine. Pleaseinclude your name, title, and agency

on all e-mail messages.Also,the Bulletin is available

for viewing or downloading on anumber of computer services,as well as the FBIs home page.

The home page address ishttp://www.fbi.gov.

The BulletinsE-mail Address

May 2003 / 21


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Enduring, Surviving, and Thriving as aLaw Enforcement Executiveedited by Thomas

J. Jurkanin, Larry T. Hoover, Jerry L. Dowling,and Janice Ahmad, Charles C. Thomas Publisher,Springfield, Illinois, 2001.

Enduring, Surviving, and Thriving as a LawEnforcement Executive shares extensive insights,perspectives, suggestions, warnings, concepts,and ideas that codify over 400 years of wisdomof the day-to-day experiences related to the lawenforcement profession. The book containscontributions from 20 experienced law enforce-ment executives edited by four other veterans ofthe profession.

It represents an excellent work for the newlyappointed, as well as experienced, chief of police,sheriff, law enforcement manager, or supervisor.The authors greatly emphasize law enforcementexecutives function in their communities, theirinterfacing with political institutions, and theirroles in law enforcement and general publicadministration.

Due to the extensive experience of theauthors, they ably identify several compelling

points. These include executive management

rights in collective bargaining, major observationsfor good employee relations, and five politicalstatesmanship blueprints. The authors also offerseveral law enforcement executive mission andstrategy assessments, as well as points on

community-oriented policing, organizationalvalues, and the management of importantcomponents of legal liabilities and technologyinterface and use supported by critical incident

planning and management application.The book contains a list of 10 command-

ments that pertain to the personal and profes-sional conduct of executives along with anumber of ways to minimize personal civilliability, including those areas of prime potentialfor lawsuits. It also provides a list of 10 charac-teristics for cultivating quality principles in

policing and identifies their strengths andweaknesses. A 5-day training course curriculumfor newly appointed law enforcement executivesor experienced administrators and their manag-

ers and supervisors constitutes a compellingcontribution that the book makes to the lawenforcement community.

The final chapter entails an outline on mediarelations to assist in maintaining the success oflaw enforcement executives, managers, andsupervisors. In addition, the chapter includesmonitoring ideas to measure the publics attitudetoward an agencys operations and implemented

policies and identifies several critical prioritiesof an effective law enforcement executive.

Enduring, Surviving, and Thriving as a LawEnforcement Executive will appeal to law

enforcement executives at all levels, localgovernment officials, state and local districtattorneys, and planning and financial administra-tors. It also would interest law enforcementexecutive development schools, national policeinstitutes, and initial and in-service executivetraining programs. Overall, the book is a criticaland helpful compilation of the concepts andideas used and being tried by some of the bestexecutives in the law enforcement profession.

Reviewed by

Larry R. MooreCertified Emergency ManagerInternational Association of

Emergency ManagersKnoxville, Tennessee

Book Review



24/35

May 2003 / 23

olice officers in the United

States respond to numerousand diverse calls for ser-

identified caller also helps establish

the lawful basis for police action.Anonymous callers, on theother hand, are not available to pro-vide critical additional information.Thus, determining the proper policeresponse to anonymous emergencycalls is more difficult. Furthermore,warrantless, nonconsensual entriesinto private premises by police offi-cers in response to anonymous callsor reports of an emergency are par-ticularly fraught with legal issues.2

Some anonymous calls may

be placed maliciously and conveyfalse information for the purposeof harassing, annoying, or retali-ating against another. However,the courts have acknowledged thatthere may be understandable and

legitimate reasons for anonymous

911 calls: such calls are distinctivein that they concern contemporane-ous emergency events, not generalcriminal behavior. Additionally, theexigencies of the emergency situa-tions often limit the ability of thecaller to convey extraneous details,such as identifying information.Furthermore, some callers, particu-larly neighbors, may be understand-ably reticent to give identifying in-formation for fear of retaliation.3

THE EMERGENCYEXCEPTION

Many 911 calls result in po-lice officers entering a personshome. A persons home enjoys thehighest levels of protection from

Pvice on a daily basis, often using thenationally recognized 911 emer-gency number. One court has notedthat [a] 911 call is one of the mostcommonand universally recog-nizedmeans through which po-lice and other emergency personnellearn that there is someone in a dan-gerous situation who urgently needshelp.1 In many such cases, callersidentify themselves and are avail-

able to provide additional informa-tion to responding officers. Notonly does this information assist the

police in assessing the situation anddeveloping the safest and most ef-fective tactical approach, but an

Police Response toAnonymous Emergency CallsBy MICHAEL L. CIMINELLI, J.D.

Legal Digest

digitalSTOCK


25/35


government intrusion under theFourth Amendment to the U.S.Constitution.4 The U.S. SupremeCourt has emphasized that physi-

cal entry of the home is the chiefevil against which the wording ofthe Fourth Amendment is di-rected.5 Thus, the general rule isthat searches and seizures inside ahome without a warrant are pre-sumptively unreasonable.6 None-theless, the Supreme Court has es-tablished a few narrowly craftedexceptions to the warrant require-ment. These exceptions allow the

police to act when the public inter-

est require[s] some flexibility in theapplication of the general rule that avalid warrant is a prerequisite for asearch.7

Under one such exception, of-ficers may conduct a warrantless,nonconsensual entry and search of aresidence when, due to exigent cir-cumstances, there is insufficienttime to obtain a search warrant. TheSupreme Court has recognized the

following emergency exceptions tothe search warrant requirement: 1)

prevent escape;8 2) prevent harm tothe officers or others;9 3) prevent

the destruction of evidence;10 4) hotpursuit of a criminal suspect;11 and5) to render immediate aid to a per-son in need of assistance.12 This ar-ticle focuses on police actions torender immediate aid to a person inneed of assistance because many911 calls to the police involve suchemergencies.

The Supreme Court has notedthat [n]umerous state and federalcases have recognized that the

Fourth Amendment does not bar police officers from making war-rantless entries and searches whenthey reasonably believe that a per-son within is in need of immediateaid.13 Thus, a warrantless entry

by criminal enforcement officialsmay be legal when there is compel-ling need for official action and notime to secure a warrant.14 In suchsituations, the police are acting to

assist persons in distress, ratherthan seeking to make an arrest orseize evidence.15

JUSTIFYING THEEMERGENCY

To make a lawful warrantless,nonconsensual entry and search torender aid, the police must reason-ably believe that an emergencysituation exists requiring immediate

police intervention.16 Most courtshave interpreted this to mean offic-ers must have probable cause.17 Afederal appellate court has ex-

plained that [p]robable cause for aforced entry in response to exigentcircumstances requires finding a

probability that a person is in dan-ger.18 One commentator has sum-marized the prevailing test used bymany courts to review emergencywarrantless, nonconsensual entriesand searches as 1) the police musthave reasonable grounds to believethat there is an emergency at handand an immediate need for their as-sistance for the protection of life or

property; 2) the search must not be

motivated primarily by intent to ar-rest and seize evidence;and 3) theremust be some reasonable basis, ap-

proximating probable cause, to as-sociate the emergency with the areaor place to be searched.19

The language used by the courtsto describe the amount of knowl-edge officers must have to justifyan emergency entry and searchoften is confusing. In the testsummarized above, the commenta-tor used the phrases, reasonablegrounds to believe and reason-able basis approximating probablecause. One federal appellate courthas explained that to justify anemergency entry requires finding a

Cases upholdingpolice entries and

searches in response toanonymous calls

typically rely upon one ormore factors thatcorroborate the

anonymous reportsufficiently to justify

police actions.

Mr. Ciminelli serves as chief of theDomestic Criminal Law Section, DEA.


26/35

May 2003 / 25

probability that a person is in dan-ger.20 It often is difficult to deter-mine if courts are talking about rea-sonable suspicion, probable cause,

or something in between, as theproper test.

Two conclusions can be drawn.First, courts likely will be flexiblewhen they assess officers actionsin response to emergencies. Theyrecognize that officers must actquickly, often upon ambiguous, in-complete information. 21 Courts un-derstand that police officers must

be given authority and flexibility toact quickly, based on limited infor-

mation, when human life is atstake.22

Second, regardless of the stan-dard courts use to assess police re-sponse to emergencies, no warrant-less, nonconsensual, emergencyentry will be approved unless offi-cers can cite specific facts, com-

bined with their training and experi-ence, that led them to reasonablyconclude that an emergency existed

justifying their entry. Unsupportedand unexplained claims of emer-

gencies will not suffice.23 Informa-tion acquired after the emergencyentry cannot be used to justify theinitial entry.24 Conversely, even ifofficers turn out to be wrong and noemergency actually existed, it willnot make their entry unlawful solong as they acted reasonably inlight of the information they

possessed when the entry wasmade.25 Meeting this burden is es-

pecially difficult, but not impos-sible, when the information comesavailable to officers from an anony-mous source.26

The scope of the emergencysearch must be strictly circum-scribed by the exigencies which

justify its initiation.27 For ex-ample, if the emergency involves anentry to search for and aid injured

persons, a search of desk drawers

is unreasonable and risks not onlysuppression of any evidence found

but also a possible civil suit forviolation of the Fourth Amend-ment.28 Of course, during any law-ful emergency search, officers mayseize without a warrant items in

plain view that they have probablecause to believe are evidence orcontraband. 29

corroborate the reliability of ananonymous tip before acting.30 Forexample, inKerman v. City of NewYork,31 police received an anony-

mous 911 call that a mentally illman [at a specified location] was offhis medication and acting crazy and

possibly had a gun. The federalcourt held that [b]ased on the ab-sence of evidence in the recordto corroborate the 911 call andthe protections afforded to privatedwellings under the FourthAmendmentthe officers war-rantless entry into [the] apartmentviolated the Fourth Amendment.32

In another case, Alexander v.Commonwealth,33 officers re-sponded to an anonymous 911 callfrom a motel about a woman beingheld against her will in a specifiedroom. Several police officers wentdirectly to the room and knocked onthe door. The door was opened, and

police observed four persons insidethe room, including one woman.With guns drawn, the police imme-diately entered the room. Policeseized a handgun and cocaine from

one occupants pocket. The courtheld that the officers lacked prob-able cause, and the gun and cocainewere suppressed.34 The court notedthat [u]pon arriving, the officersdid not inquire at the front desk ormake an independent investigationin an effort to verify the unsubstan-tiated report that a crime might beoccurring.35 Similarly, in North

Dakota v. DeCoteau,36 the policewere dispatched to an anonymouscall of a domestic disturbance.Upon arrival, some children outsidetold the police that they had heardglass breaking. The officers ob-served a broken window, but tookno steps to determine if the break

NEED FORCORROBORATION

Several courts reviewing thepolice response to anonymous callshave held that the police actionswere unlawful. In most of thesecases, the courts decision was

predicated on a finding that the po-lice lacked probable cause or rea-sonable grounds to believe that theirentry or subsequent search was nec-essary to respond to an emergencysituation. A common thread in thesecases is that the police, at least inthe opinion of the reviewing court,failed to take adequate steps to

...courts likely willbe flexible when

they assessofficers actions in

response toemergencies.


27/35


was recent and immediately enteredthe house without consent. Underthese facts, the court found thatthere was no emergency requiring

swift action to prevent imminentdanger to life or property.37

The courts will examine ex-actly what information is conveyed

by an anonymous call in determin-ing whether the police had reason-able grounds to believe that therewas an emergency requiring imme-diate action. For example, inFeath-ers v. Aey,38 officers received ananonymous call that a man on a

porch yelled an obscenity at a pass-

erby, appeared drunk, and pointedsomething unknown at the caller.Offi-cers responded and immedi-ately detained a man on his front

porch and patted him down forweapons. The man later sued theofficers. The court held that the stopwas improper, noting that the offi-cers detained the man solely on atip from an anonymous source[and] the tip itself [gave] no clearindication of criminal activity.39

In United States v. Fisher,40 an

anonymous caller reported awoman named Cathy had beenabducted and was being forced in

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