From the Desk of Director Peed:
Welcome to the Community Policing Dispatch
The COPS Office, as a leader in providing innovative, customer-focused resources
for those engaged in enhancing public safety through community policing, is pleased to present the
inaugural issue of our
e-newsletter. The Dispatch is a monthly forum for sharing the latest ideas,
perspectives, and theories on community policing and its implementation. This is in keeping with the
principles of community policing that place emphasis on the benefits of partnerships,
problem-solving,
and information sharing. As our agency strives to be the embodiment of community policing nationally and
globally, we aim to share the information we gather with a broad audience. Read More
Identity Theft: A Challenge for Law Enforcement
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) estimates that roughly 8.4 million Americans were
victims of identity theft in 2006. The most common type of identity theft is credit card fraud,
followed by phone or utilities fraud, bank fraud, and employment fraud. Those who commit identity
theft often see it as a simple, risk free way to make extra cash. However, it sometime may be the first
step a criminal takes in order to conceal their identity before committing identity theft related crimes.
Organized groups such as street gangs, drug traffickers, fraud rings, terrorists, and cyber criminals often
use another person’s identity to avoid detection from authorities. Read More
Community Policing Nugget: Community Policing Defined
This month we offer a short discussion of the recently updated COPS Office definition of
community policing. In future, this space will be used to address specific aspects of the community
policing philosophy.
Read More