Archive for the ‘Safety’ Category

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Department of Children and Families Considering Tracking Its Employees

By Dawn in gps, gps tracker, MSI Detective Services, Safety, Technology at November 30th, 2011 | No comments

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) for the State of Connecticut is considering adding GPS tracking devices to its fleet of 800 vehicles to monitor the misuse of its vehicles. “Anytime you add additional oversight you reap some benefits and efficiencies,” said Cindy Butterfield, budgetchief of DCF.

As you may have read, many companies and government agencies are installing GPS Tracking Devices to their fleets of vehicles used by employees to try and reign in costs and abuse. There are also safety considerations for employees and customers as some examples mentioned below describe. These devices can also provide safety for police officers in distress, ambulances, etc

DCF Commissioner Joette Katz estimates these GPS devices will save the state nearly $250,000 in the first year by being able to provide data on the misuse of its vehicles, verify overtime hours, and may potentially save 20% on fuel consumption. The state’s legislature’s research arm reported that it spent $15.7 million on gas alone in fiscal 2008. Since then, the state has taken steps to reduce its fleet by 800 cars. The agency also proposes cutting overtime by 10 percent for a savings of $1.7 million next year, and Butterfield said GPS tracking devices will help DCF do that.

If the proposal were to be enacted, nearly one-quarter of the states 3,243-vehicle fleet could be tracked.

Patrick Johnson, who is the president of Oak Hill, Connecticut’s largest nonprofit agency, was able to disprove allegations that one of his employees injured a client while driving him to an appointment by presenting the data extracted from the GPS tracking device, which showed that the vehicle never stopped so that the driver could not have committed the alleged offense.

It’s a real safety and protection for our employees,” said Johnson of Oak Hill, which provides services for those with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Johnson has attached GPS tracking devices on his entire fleet of 184 vans. The information collected from the tracking devices is able to show in real time the vehicle’s location and is even able to send him notifications if the driver exceeds the speed limit by more than 5 mph. Read the full article »

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Police: ‘Blond Bandit’ May Have Struck Again

By Dawn in Burlary, Crime, Investigations, MSI Detective Services, Police Records, Private Investigator, robbery, Safety, Security, Violence at November 29th, 2011 | No comments

A so-called “blond bandit” suspected of multiple heists in Virginia has been linked to another crime, this one a carjacking on Thanksgiving Day in Maryland.

Stephanie Lynn Schwab, 26, described as a 5’3” white female with blond hair and green eyes, earned her nickname after being named in connection with an earlier carjacking and two bank robberies, all of which took place between Nov. 18 and Nov. 21, according to Virginia’s Inside.Nova.com.

In Thursday’s incident, Baltimore County police say Schwab asked a woman for a ride from the parking lot of a Safeway supermarket to a Shoppers Food Warehouse. But when the victim stopped her car, Schwab allegedly displayed a knife and told her to keep driving.

The victim asked a nearby man for help, at which point the suspect attempted to climb into the driver’s seat. The victim tried to grab the knife from Schwab and was cut on the hand, officials said. Schwab then fled on foot, police said.

Schwab is also wanted in an armed carjacking on Nov. 19 of a silver 2003 Acura.

In that incident, a 59-year-old woman had offered the suspect a ride from the parking lot of Neiman Marcus at the Tysons Corner shopping center in Virginia. They left together in the Acura, but at a nearby intersection, the suspect showed a knife and told the victim to get out of the car. That victim was left at the intersection. The Acura was found on Friday. Detectives connected Schwab to the crime and have obtained a warrant for her arrest.

Schwab also has been linked to a Nov. 18 bank robbery in Prince William County, Va. She may have been involved in another bank robbery Nov. 22, at a BB&T in Springfield, Va.

She was last seen Thursday, running eastbound on Route 40 towards Baltimore City. She has no known connection to that area, and may be staying in a motel, waiting for a chance to commandeer a getaway car reported WBALTV.com. Police are asking drivers to use caution, as the suspect may approach vehicles asking for a ride.

Former gang member
Schwab, of Manassas, Va., is a former member of the MS-13 gang, according to court records. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that she joined the group after running away from home at the age of 12. She reportedly had a fellow gang member’s child three years later, and is now a mother of two. In 2005, Schwab testified against MS-13 members in a murder trial.

Police don’t know what prompted the recent robbery spree. This woman has initiated several investigations.

Anyone with information is asked to call Baltimore County Police at 410-307-2020 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7-LOCKUP (866-756-2587). To text a tip to Metro Crime Stoppers, send to “CRIMES” (274637), then enter the message starting with “MCS,” or e-mail a tip to www.metrocrimestoppers.org.

Those contacting Metro Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and might be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.

Read story@ msnbc

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Twenty-Two Things Burglars Won’t Tell You

By Dawn in Burlary, Home Security, MSI Detective Services, Safety, Stolen Property at November 23rd, 2011 | No comments

Have you ever wondered what factors a burglar considers when deciding which homes to target? Some of these things may surprise you.  This list comes from a Texas based security company that is taking steps to educate its customers. The list takes a humorous approach to giving end users some insight into the diverse and sometimes surprising forms a burglar can take, the indicators of wealth burglars pick up on, and how they know no one is home, among others.

The list highlights the importance of supplementing a dependable security system with a deeper awareness of seemingly harmless visitors and how a residence or business can attract a burglar’s attention. Hopefully, it will give you some tips to avoid being a victim of theft or something worse.

In addition to having a good security system, you may want to consider adding surveillance cameras to the outside of your home. There are also cameras that use motion detection which then turns on a flood light. A burglar is not going to go past this first line of defense. If a flood light comes on, they will run. Personally, I want to stop anyone from even attempting to breach my home security system. I know that with some home systems, if a door or window is opened when the system is armed, the panel box “beeps” for sixty seconds before alarms are set off. Then, you receive a call from the security company, and if you don’t answer, they call your back-up number. If no one answers at the back-up number, it is only then that the police are notified. Therefore, it could take 10-15 minutes at best before the police are at your door.

I accidentally set off my alarm in the middle of the night one time and punched in my code once to turn it off. I was actually supposed to punch in my code twice if the alarm is accidentally set off. I didn’t have my phone turned on, was in a sleepy stupor and returned to bed. The police showed up an hour later. I did not find that experience to be very comforting and even sixty seconds seems like a long time to me before alarms are set off. An intruder can do a lot of harm to you in that short amount of time if they aren’t scared off by your beeping sound. Many home invasions are committed by people on drugs who are not thinking logically – like they should run when they hear your alarm box beeping.

Here is that list: Read the full article »

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More Police Department​s Look to Tune Public Out

By Dawn in eavesdropping, MSI Detective Services, Police Records, Safety, Technology at November 21st, 2011 | No comments

Police departments around the country are moving to shield their radio communications from the public as cheap, user-friendly technology has made it easy for anyone to use handheld devices to keep tabs on officers responding to crimes.

The practice of encryption has become increasingly common across the U.S. with law enforcement officials saying they want to keep criminals from using officer’s internal communications to evade them. However, journalists and neighborhood watchdogs say open communications ensure that the public receives information as quickly as possible that can be vital to their safety.

I can understand the argument from both sides; however, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier gives us some examples supporting the need to secure police communications. The police do have valid concerns, but as you read on, you will see there could be alternative ways of managing this problem without a complete shut down on the public.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said recently that a group of burglars who police believe were following radio communications on their smartphones pulled off more than a dozen crimes before ultimately being arrested and that drug dealers fled a laundromat after a sergeant used his radio to call in other officers — suggesting that they, too, might have been listening in.

“Whereas listeners used to be tied to stationary scanners, new technology has allowed people — and especially criminals — to listen to police communications on a smartphone from anywhere,” Lanier testified at a D.C. Council committee hearing this month. “When a potential criminal can evade capture and learn, ‘There’s an app for that,’ it’s time to change our practices.” Read the full article »

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