By Leischen Stelter
Due to budget restrictions, many law enforcement officers must choose what conferences and events they can attend. While the majority of conferences have merit and value, not very often do you hear one being described as having “rock star” speakers, especially not regional conferences.
Well, those were the words used to describe the 3rd annual Mid-Atlantic INLETS seminar (INtelligence and Law Enforcement Training Seminar) that took place the last week in June in Annapolis, Maryland. The five-day collaborative training program is designed using components from the FBI Field Offices in Washington D.C. and Baltimore, from InfraGard, and from the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (MCAC).
“This conference had some of the best speakers I’ve ever seen at a conference,” said Jim Deater, a 23-year veteran of the Maryland State Police. The rock-star lineup included Tony Mendez, the CIA agent (retired) who is largely credited with exfiltrating six American diplomats out of Iran during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980 (recently portrayed in the Oscar-winning film, Argo). Donald Schuler also spoke. He is a CIA agent involved in Operation Cyclone, a program to arm and finance the Afghan mujahideen prior to and during the Soviet war in Afghanistan in the 1980s (portrayed in the film Charlie Wilson’s War). Both men are now retired, but talked about the lessons they learned on those cases and how they managed to balance work and family life.
The conference’s educational sessions covered everything from cybercrime to outlaw motorcycle gangs and there was something for everyone, whether you are a crime analyst, gang specialist or drug investigator working for a small town or for a federal agency.
Deater, who is now a law enforcement outreach coordinator with American Military University—which, for full disclosure, was a sponsor of this event—gave a presentation to a packed session of law enforcement officers about electronic surveillance, equipment and tactics. His session covered video cameras, GPS tracking devices, body wires, wireless bugs and wiretapping—much of which is law-enforcement sensitive information and cannot be shared in a public space. However, here are some of the subjects covered during Deater’s presentation:
Use of IP-Surveillance Cameras
This session resulted in a significant amount of participation and discussion from the audience. The majority of questions were in regards to IP-surveillance cameras and required equipment and specifications. The availability and affordability of network cameras for use in the field is a relatively new phenomenon for law enforcement agencies.
“With the advent of the network camera, the cost of video has come down so that pretty much any police department, of any size, can afford to buy a network camera,” said Deater. “You can get an IP camera, an air card, router and modem for roughly $2,500 and transmit that data literally anywhere in the world as long as there’s a wireless broadband Internet connection.”
This is remarkably cost effective, especially compared to old microwave technology that required line-of-sight (e.g. camera at point A had to have clear sight of point B). These camera systems also cost upwards of $50,000. Deater also fielded questions about converting old analog cameras into network cameras and the requirements for video servers.
In addition, Deater showed the audience several apps that can be downloaded to an officer’s phone or tablet enabling them to view the camera remotely. He also discussed enclosures and other ways officers can hide these cameras for covert surveillance operations.
Seizure of Cell Phones
The class also covered the seizure of cell phones. Deater reminded officers that even if they turn off a suspect’s phone, it can still be operated via the Internet. The data on the phone can be wiped out through Internet operations before it can be downloaded for evidence. He reminded officers to immediately switch the phone to “airplane mode” in order to disconnect it from the network. This also prevents suspects from activating the phone and using it as a listening device to hear what officers are saying. Deater reminded officers that everyone has a phone these days, even homeless people, so they should assume that there will always be a camera and possibly video on every scene.
GPS Tracking and New Legal Limitations
Deater also covered GPS tracking and the limitations in place after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police cannot use GPS devices without a search warrant. This legislation “has definitely hurt law enforcement,” he said. In Maryland, for example, police have to get a search warrant to use a GPS device and are required to notify the suspect 30 days after the search warrant was executed.
“So, if you use GPS, it immediately puts you on a timeline,” he said. “Some of these big cases take 18 months to investigate, not 30 days. This hinders investigations significantly.”
There are some states that have provisions enabling officers to seal warrants until the case is over, but unfortunately in states like Maryland, the laws haven’t caught up. As a result, many agencies are seeing cases last longer because they are reverting back to physically following suspects, which requires a significant amount of manpower and time.
What’s the best conference, large or small, that you’ve attended lately? What must a conference have in order for you to attend? Strong educational and training sessions? New products or technology to try out? Great networking opportunities? Discuss in the comments section below.
Comments are closed.