News

New Program In Maryland To Fight Against Drunk Driving

Montgomery County needed new, innovative, and comprehensive solutions that would use resources not normally tapped by law enforcement agencies. Consequently, Lieutenant David Falcinelli and Officer William Morrison of the Montgomery County Police Department created and implemented the multi-agency “Enhanced Impaired Driving Task Force” program as a new strategy to raise awareness, motivate officers, and educate the community.

This comprehensive program was aimed at improving the safety of all motorists. It used civilian personnel and multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Montgomery County Police in cooperation with the Maryland State Police, the Maryland National Capital Park Police, Gaithersburg City Police, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. The Enhanced Impaired Driving Task Force was responsible for training volunteer civilians to help identify DUI offenders and using Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) volunteers to assist officers with paperwork, and to set up targeted enforcement at selected locations in Montgomery County.

Types of enforcement strategies used by the task force included regular sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols, the Cops-in-Shops program, the Repeat Offender program, and the Operation Fake-Out program, as well as a new program called “Operation Extra Eyes.” During task force activities, officers certified as drug recognition experts (DREs), commercial vehicle inspectors, and child safety seat specialists were available to provide their services if necessary.

Private Detectives Description of Work

Private detectives and investigators use many methods to determine the facts in a variety of matters. To carry out investigations, they may use various types of surveillance or searches. To verify facts, such as an individual’s place of employment or income, they may make phone calls or visit a subject’s workplace. In other cases, especially those involving missing persons and background checks, investigators often interview people to gather as much information as possible about an individual. In all cases, private detectives and investigators assist attorneys, businesses, and the public with legal, financial, and personal problems.

Private detectives and investigators offer many services, including executive, corporate, and celebrity protection; pre-employment verification; and individual background profiles. They investigate computer crimes, such as identity theft, harassing e-mails, and illegal downloading of copyrighted material. They also provide assistance in civil liability and personal injury cases, insurance claims and fraud, child custody and protection cases, missing persons cases, and premarital screening. They are sometimes hired to investigate individuals to prove or disprove infidelity.

Most detectives and investigators are trained to perform physical surveillance. They may observe a site, such as the home of a subject, from an inconspicuous location or a vehicle. They continue the surveillance, which is often carried out using still and video cameras, binoculars, and a cell phone, until the desired evidence is obtained. This watching and waiting often continues for a long time.

Missouri Violent Crime Support Unit

The Violent Crime Support Unit (VCSU) can provide an agency with on-site civilian crime analysts during the first three days of the investigation of a serious violent crime. VCSU services should be requested as soon as possible (within four hours) after discovery of the crime or upon activation of the Major Case Squad. The Major Case Squad as well as any local, municipal, county, or state criminal justice agency may request our services. The Crime Analyst will:

1. Enter reports and leads into a case management system.

2. Track leads that have been completed, unassigned or assigned and pending.

3. Provide analytical services such as link charts, flow charts, time lines, case progress visuals, and/or courtroom graphics.

4. Provide the appropriate case agent, commanding officer, prosecuting attorney, or administrative officer with completed typed reports.

5. Search leads and reports, including narratives, for commonalities as requested.

6. Process requests for information.