INTERVIEW: The Coolest Mass Spectrometer At the Airport You Know Nothing About - The Griffin 824

Griffin 824 in operation (Photo FLIR)

Last week, I had the privilege and esteemed honor to interview Garth Patterson from FLIR about a product I’m dying to tell you about – the Griffin 824.  Before I begin, I’d like to remind you I was in military law enforcement/security for 10 years.  However, my knowledge of the science behind the Griffin 824 is cursory at best.  So, I called every person I knew who understood mass spectrometry to give me a brief tutorial.  As you can tell, Garth explained things perfectly.

Garth, can you tell me about your background and the product?  Let’s begin with you and then what it actually does?

Well, I’m the program manager for the Griffin 824.  I previously worked for Griffin before it became a part of FLIR.  The device is a mass spectrometry device which analyzes chemical compounds at the molecular level.  It is used in a variety of field applications ranging from corrections, law enforcement, border crossings, airports, etc. It looks for explosives and narcotic traces from a user-gathered sample.

Wow, that sounds pretty interesting.  How exactly does it do that? *At this point, I’m hoping Garth doesn’t go over my head.*

What happens is the user swipes a surface with a 1-inch paper-like sheet.  The sheet contains a surface area that picks up trace elements from the surface to be examined.  The user then inputs the sample in the Griffin 824 which then inserts the sheet between two stainless steel plates.  The plates are heated to vaporize the sheet and the elements.  The ions are then manipulated using electromagnetic fields and an analysis is conducted using software in the Griffin 824.  The device can differentiate between “junk” and actual compounds.  Something ion scanners previously weren’t so good with. 

How does a user know they have a “hit”?

The machine will display a green light at the initial startup and will then go to yellow when analyzing.  After the analysis is complete, the light will either go green again to signal a negative result or go red to annunciate a positive result.

How long does it take to start up the 824?

It takes approximately 20 minutes. Though, analysis takes about 10 seconds.

Why mass spectrometry?

It’s the standard for quality lab analysis for chemical compounds.  It’s also court-friendly.

So what separates this from the lab?

It can be taken into the field.  Mass spectrometry uses a lot of big expensive equipment in a lab, as is the case with Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.  Because it’s transportable as a single unit and has many field user-friendly applications, it’s a natural fit for field analysis.

Going over some of the literature, it claims the 824 is equipped for both audio and visual alert cues. 

Yes.  We felt there was a need for operators not to have a loud, audible cue annunciate in front of a subject.

Are there any other applications that set the Griffin 824 apart from other technology?

It’s network addressable.  This means you can presumably plug the 824 into a network and have results shared over a network to a command and control center.  The 824 also has administrative and user profiles for individual operators in addition to a USB report for flash drives.  The screen is also a touch screen.  There is also no carrier gases needed which means no big helium tanks.  The unit is self-contained.  Given its ease of use, it takes a little under a day to train personnel on how to use the 824.

Garth, to say I’m impressed is an understatement.  How long from inception to production?

About 4 years.  We have another mass spectrometer, the Griffin 460 where we received feedback from operators wanting something for field use for narcotics and explosive detection analysis.  We saw the biggest need initially in airports for trace detection.

Garth, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me.  It was truly an honor.  

For more on the Griffin 824, please click on the links below.

FLIR Griffin 824 web page

FLIR Griffin 824 Datasheet 

FLIR Prison Narcotics Detection - Griffin 824

To see the Griffin 824 in action check out the video below (no audio)

Video: Choose Your Own Crime Stats

Folks, this will be my last post on gun control for a bit (I hope).  I found this video to be a great illustration of what's wrong with our current debate on gun control legislation.  Often, we allow Internet memes and populist angst to be our compass on things we want our government to legislate on.  We often do this without the scantest hint of sound research.  Our sources are biased and manipulate data for their own agenda.  I encourage you to do your own research and look for sources that are reliable and have a solid reputation for being unbiased.  Don't allow your ignorance on an issue to misguide you to a decision based on faulty logic and data exploitation.  When in doubt, remember Stalin relied on his own analysis of intelligence gleaned from the KGB to determine who was killed or imprisoned as an enemy of the state.  25 MILLION lives later we realized the folly in this logic (sort of).  Then Iraq happened and again, we trusted alleged manipulated data to make presumably very flawed decisions.  In a time of increased divisiveness and out of control vitriol-filled rhetoric, too much is at stake to get it wrong this time.

The Facts On The President's Gun Violence Executive Actions

We all knew this day would come. We've known the Vice President and his commission were working on recommendations to stymie the kind of acts of violence we've seen in places like Newtown, CT. There has been an enormous amount of rumor and hyperbole surrounding the commission's recommendations. Add in various conspiracy theories and cries for revolution and uprising and you have what I call a "perfect storm of biased and subjective opinions disguised as facts". Like the NOAA, we should name this storm - Logic Storm "Lunacy".

First, let's start with the 23 executive actions the President can take. You should know the President, while he cannot pass laws, he can write instructions for his executive agencies on how they can enforce existing laws. Contrary to what you read on social media or partisan-loyal sites, the President is NOT taking away guns. What he plans on doing is ASKING Congress to renew the assault weapons ban. We'll cover that at a later when we have his bill in front of us. You should know this bill has the same chances of survival in the House of Representatives as ice in a microwave.

Here are the actions the President will order (click here for a link to the pdf):

1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.
2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.
3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.
4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.
5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.
6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.
7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.
8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).
9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.
10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.
11. Nominate an ATF director.
12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.
13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.
14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.
15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies
16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.
17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.
18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.
19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.
20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.
21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.
22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.
23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.

There you have it.  There is no existing measure TODAY to take away your guns. The most prominent piece of these executive actions is mental health. Most of of the actions are meant to supplement existing law enforcement and mental health initiatives BOTH sides claim are needed. There is nothing overly invasive for private citizens in THESE actions. No black-booted thug army created. No UN-mandated confiscation plan. That is not to say the assault weapons ban won't be.

The Violence Policy Center, an anti-assault weapons non-profit think tank said in 2004:

Soon after its passage in 1994, the gun industry made a mockery of the federal assault weapons ban, manufacturing "post-ban" assault weapons with only slight, cosmetic differences from their banned counterparts. The VPC estimates that more than one million assault weapons have been manufactured since the ban's passage in 1994. The sad truth is that mere renewal would have done little to stop this flood of assault weapons.

Salon.com reminded us today the likelihood of such a bill passing through the GOP-controlled House of Representatives.  Though the article is harsh on the GOP one cannot ignore with a 33 vote deficit and a GOP House swollen with partisans, there is very little hope of a ban occurring during this term.

There is some language in the executive actions that will ruffle some folks' feathers such as proposing gun shows no longer be exempt from background checks.  This closes a significant loophole in existing federal law regarding background checks. There's also very broad language thus far as to providing mental health treatment to Medicare recipients. It's a nice tie-in for folks who presumably the President wants to buy-in to "Obamacare". Ironically, most active shooters have come from upper to middle class homes and weren't on any acknowledged public assistance.

Are there things in the President's current plans that I don't like?  

Yes.  

Do I think this will stymie the tide of most gun violence?  

No.  

Is that because I think this covers crimes like Newtown and not crimes that occur on streets in cities like Chicago where the weapons are already on the street and purchased through various straw purchases?  

Yup.  

Are there things I like?  

Yup.

  

Are they pertaining to mental health and putting additional resources in the hands of those who have to respond and mitigate these issues? 

Yup.

Do I think an assault weapons ban is feasible or worth pursuing?  

Not really. The bad guys already have these guns and tougher sentences do little in preventing these heinous acts.  

Are these actions a good start? 

Possibly. We'll have to wait and see, unfortunately. C'est l'vie.

OPINION: Why Everyone Has All The Wrong Ideas on School Violence

I have been asked by several people when I was going to write an article on school shooting in light of the Sandy Hook tragedy.  My reply was always the same - I won't comment or pontificate on it until all the children are buried.  I have decided now is the right time for several reason.  The biggest reason - I'm sick of hearing everyone prattle on about solutions I feel either won't work and/or are solely based on partisan politics.

Let's get to the heart of the matter.  This is NOT about gun control.  Sandy Hook has nothing to do with gun control.  I see you over there having a fit.  I know the "talking heads" on cable news says it is.  However, it's not.  Here's what we know. Adam Lanza was a law-abiding citizen until the moment he entered a school.  In other words, he and his mother did everything you're supposed to do as an armed citizen.  They went to the range, cleaned their guns, locked them up, got licenses, etc.  None of our existing laws or agencies could have stopped Adam Lanza.  Adam Lanza was, in my layman's assessment, insane.  No one can doubt that.  That's where lots of active shooters stray away from the rest of us - they're nuts (it's an academic term) and we're not.  In my opinion that places many of us to include our politicians in an un-winnable position.  You see, we mistakenly believe people like Adam Lanza will adhere to our cultural norms and values particularly those related to the preservation of human life.  Here's what we know about Adam Lanza- he immersed himself into a video game world where life is ended with no consequence at the push of a button.  Over time, I believe Adam Lanza came to believe life was meaningless and easily sacrificed for any reason the life-taker chose.  In his online world, it is speculated Adam Lanza wanted nothing to do with his human counterparts except to "kill" them virtually.  There is a profound disconnect with the rest of humanity there.  So what am I driving at.  We can't expect people who operate in one world (they function) yet live in another to adhere to the norms and values of this world.  Creating additional laws and other measures we think are deterrents will fail us.

Most troubling is the rhetoric in Washington, D.C.. Before I go there, let me assure you I love the Second Amendment and guns.  I am a proud gun owner and I believe you should have the right to defend yourself and loved ones when a credible threat is present.  You will get no arguments from me there.  That being said, there have been a number of laws and proposals presented by various partisans about how to do that.  I firmly believe many if not all will fail.  Here's why:

1. Arming teachers and having armed guards in schools is bad policy.  There's a belief that had one teacher been armed they could have stopped a mentally ill teenager armed with an AR-15 and wearing body armor.  That's a very dangerous and problematic conclusion to reach. Crazy people count on law enforcement and people with guns to confront them. They rehearse their response to this as much as they do the act themselves.  Announcing to the world, we have armed gym teachers will only increase the likelihood they'll show up wanting a fight.  Remember James Holmes both wore body armor as did the Columbine shooters.  Additionally, as long as you have open spaces to play and mass gathering locations (bus stops) publicly accessible, you will never be able to adequately protect our children.  What happens when students are away from the interior of the premises?  It is also prudent to note we're dealing with people who have INTIMATE knowledge of their target and the locations they are at.  They may also know your contingency plans.  Many will be students or former students possibly teachers or parents.  What happens when an armed teacher "snaps"?  Don't think its possible?  Teachers are under tremendous stress and are vulnerable to some of the same issues most active shooters face.  No is immune from crazy.  In small communities, they may know who the armed teachers and officials are and neutralize them first.
   
   There's the additional concern with what happens when a teacher practices poor weapons discipline and does something stupid like lose a gun, places it in a lockbox and leaves the key at home or forgets the combination, has a negligent discharge, or doesn't wear a retention holster.  I know what you're saying "highly trained shooters" don't make those kind of mistakes.  Tell that to military firearms instructors.  How do you admonish teachers who can't shoot that well?  Remember who we're talking about.  These are teachers - not soldiers or cops.  Will you make using a firearm a prerequisite for new teacher hires?  What would be an adequate curriculum?  How often should they practice?  How often will the state mandate they practice?  How many will you arm?  Will you teach them to clear rooms?  Will they lean to "shoot, move, and communicate"?  Will they be adequately prepared for more than one shooter?  What about other places where children congregate?  Do we arm museums, playgrounds, aquariums, malls, etc.?  Who will pay the $18 billion that proposal will take to be effective nationally?  
2. Taking guns away is equally as bad and even more problematic.  Before you post some statistic on gun deaths in this country vs that country, do me a favor and chill out.  Here's a lesson on gun laws, gun culture, and gun deaths: Gun laws keep good sane people honest.  That's it.  Trust me.  Bad guys, like crazy people, don't live in our world.  They may operate in it but they do not follow our norms or values let alone our laws.  Why do you think we have a problem with recidivism? We punish people using a system that will work on people like us.  Stick me in a cell for a day and I'm rehabilitated.  In places like the U.K., yes they don't have near as many gun deaths as us.  Hooray.  However, ask any British citizen what crime permeates their media and they will reply "knife crimes".  That's right.  The bad guys didn't stop committing violent crimes to include murder because the gun went away.  Nope they chose another weapons platform.
   
   A war on gun crime will be much like our war on drugs.  We can't win it unless we accept we have to kill our appetite for all violence to rid ourselves of this for good. I even heard some people claim only the government should have guns like the AR-15.  People claim having the capability to kill is the problem.  Let me set the record straight.  I, with a bolt action rifle, could have made Sandy Hook as big a tragedy as Adam Lanza with his AR-15.  I see you rolling your eyes in doubt.  I could have and I'll tell you why.  We can't accept to lose one child let alone 20+.  I could have killed 5 and would make headline news.  Ammunition capacity and expenditure shouldn't make a tragedy less or more of a tragedy in any mass shooting incident.  It's prudent to remember this same mentality created the TSA and look where that has gotten us.  We're safe but if you bring a water bottle aboard a plane, hello cavity search.....
3. The hysteria has to stop.  I am so sick of hearing about liberals who want to take away guns and enslave white people and crazy gun owners who want to start the new American Revolution.  I think it's high time we all chill out.  Seriously.  Stop listening or reading your favorite "news" source and remind yourself crazy rhetoric won't save our children from the Adam Lanza's of the world.  We're a nation of neighbors.  Act like it.  Voice your frustration with our government.  Start a grassroots movement to increase awareness on your side of the issue.  Think of your own solutions.  Start a blog.  Just do something constructive.  Calling each other names and spewing vitriol doesn't save our children. 

Hear are my proposed solutions:

1. Recognize we have a mental health crisis in this country.  Don't believe me?  Ask a cop about his latest "emotionally disturbed persons" call.  It is by no coincidence when we closed mental health facilities in this country we saw a spike in violent crime per capita.  Talk with your elected officials about what they propose to mitigate this crisis.
2. Become knowledgeable about some of the pre-attack indicators active shooters exhibit.
3. Report any and all potentially mentally ill AND dangerous persons to the proper authorities.
4. Demand your school be proactive on this.  Ask if they have drills and what their procedures with local law enforcement will be for these scenarios.  Ask if they've been in contact with law enforcement to work out a plan.  Ask about existing protective and detection methods.  Do they need upgrading?  When was the last upgrade?  Have they talked to a consultant?
5. Rehearse with your child their actions.  Do it until it becomes rote memory.  Whatever you practice ensure they recognize they don't have to be a hero to survive and to do EXACTLY what the police tell them to do.
6. Become active with your child's school life.  Ask about bullying and if the school is doing anything to curb it whether it be your kid or others.  If it's not, ensure that the school is.  Encourage your child to get to know outsiders early on.  Remember most active shooters began retreating into their own world long before they became violent.
7. If your child has mental health issues, recognize it, get it treated ASAP, and encourage engagement and not retreat.  
8. If we can't "bring God back into the schools" as some propose, then let's bring good parenting back.  Become active in the school and encourage other parents to as well.  Reach out to your neighbors and other parents at the school.  Remember we're a nation of neighbors.
9. We have to address our appetite for violence.  Don't get me wrong.  I recognize there is a time when you have to act in self-defense and may have to kill someone.  I get and support that.  I also recognize there is a profound difference between that and murder.  We have to find a way to starve our desire to kill without necessity.  Until we can find a way to do this, then we nor our children will ever be safe.

Have You Seen Former FBI Agent Robert Levinson?

Former Special Agent Robert Levinson missing since March 2007

Robert Levinson is a former FBI agent who has gone missing since March 2007 in Iran. He was acting as a private investigator looking into cigarette-smuggling. There has been contact with the hostage-takers and Robert Levinson's family. There are some experts who have noted the sophisticated tradecraft involved in the transmission of these messages from the hostage-takers. They conclude this points to Iran clearly. The Iranian government contends they had nothing to do with this. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadnejad has stated, "Our security officials and agents have expressed their willingness to assist the FBI, if the FBI has any information about his travels around the world." It's curious he would make such a statement. What would his "travels around the world" illuminate for the Iranians? Ahmenijad has a history of playing coy whenever the Iranians have ever been directly linked with any nefarious activities. It's like asking your child to tell you who broke lock on a drawer you were keeping his Christmas presents and they reply "I would be happy to help you find the lock if you would tell me what the lock was protecting."

Here's an example of the messaging sent to Levinson's family.

Levinson supposedly met with Dawud Salahuddin, an American fugitive who converted to Islam and later assasinated an Iranian diplomat in the US. Salahuddin describes himself as a close friend with whom he "shared hotel room on Kish on March 8. Iranian officials in plain clothes came to the room and detained and questioned Salahuddin about his Iranian passport, Salahuddin said. On his release a day later, Levinson had disappeared, and the Iranian officials told Salahuddin he had left Iran." Salahuddin then says something that caught my eye - "I don't think he is missing, but don't want to point my finger at anyone. Some people know exactly where he is," Salahuddin told the newspaper (Financial Times). "He came only to see me." Salahuddin is in a very tricky spot. Levinson was meeting him to network with Iranian officials who might provide leads for a cigarette company that retained Levinson's services. Salahuddin can't go into further details because of his delicate situation there - he's political in Iran and has supported reformers who oppose the current regime. If the Iranians did take Levinson and Salahuddin knows something, I would suspect he's not going to say much for fear of endangering his safe-haven. 

Fred Burton, the VP for Intelligence at Stratfor, has put out a video talking about hypothetical investigative techniques US authorities have engaged in since they received the messages from the hostage-takers. It is interesting to note the correlation between the imagery analysis to find terrorist groups via their messaging and the analysis that goes into locating a hostage like Levinson with similar messaging. His video is below.

I have several readers in Iran.  So I'm going to post Levinson's picture and biographical data as well as a link to his family's blog.

Kish Island, Iran
March 9, 2007 

ROBERT A. LEVINSON

DESCRIPTION

Date of Birth:	March 10, 1948	Hair:	Gray
Place of Birth:	Flushing, New York	Eyes:	Blue
Height:	188 cm (74 inches) - at the time of his disappearance	Sex: Race:	Male White
Weight:	104 kg (230 pounds) - at the time of his disappearance	Citizenship:	U.S.

Remarks:

Levinson wears eyeglasses. He is believed to have lost a significant amount of  weight, possibly 50-60 pounds.

THE DETAILS Information is being sought regarding United States citizen Robert A. Levinson, a retired FBI Special Agent, who went missing during a business trip to Kish Island, Iran, on March 9, 2007. Levinson retired from the FBI in 1998 and worked as a private investigator following his retirement. Levinson traveled to Kish Island, Iran, on March 8, 2007, working on behalf of several large corporations, and his whereabouts, well-being and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance have been unknown since that time.  REWARD The United States Government is offering a reward of up to $1,000,000 for information leading directly to the safe location, recovery and return of Robert A. Levinson  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION If you have any information concerning Robert Levinson, please contact the FBI Tip Line at tips.fbi.gov. You can also contact your nearest American Embassy or U.S. Consulate.  Field Office: Washington Field Office

Prison Contraband: Vanguard by Current

Contributor Janet Choi goes inside a California state prison to investigate contraband smuggled inside the cells, and how cellphones are the new security threat. Watch Vanguard on Current TV Mondays at 9pm/8c. VIEW more Vanguard & SUBSCRIBE to the YouTube Playlist here... http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=99EA424C68B5EB55

Inside Chicago School's Extensive Security Measures by ABCNews

As more Newtown shooting victims are laid to rest, we take a look at how one school protects itself.

Living in Chicago's Gang Occupied Neighborhoods by AssociatedPress

Chicago is experiencing a more than 50 percent surge in homicides, most of them on the city's south and west sides. In the second of a three part series, The Associated Press looks into the lives of people in those violent neighborhoods. (June 12) Subscribe to the Associated Press: http://bit.ly/APYouTube Download AP Mobile: http://www.ap.org/mobile/ Associated Press on Facebook: http://apne.ws/c7lQTV Associated Press on Twitter: http://apne.ws/bTquhb Associated Press on Google+: http://bit.ly/zuTKBL

Sovereign Citizens and Law Enforcement by SPLCenter

This Southern Poverty Law Center video was created to help law enforcement agencies better prepare for encounters with "sovereign citizens." In the case of two West Memphis, Ark., police officers, Brandon Paudert and Bill Evans, a routine traffic stop of father-and-son sovereign citizen duo Jerry and Joe Kane in May proved fatal when son Joe, 16, leaped from the car firing an AK-47, cutting down both officers. The Kanes died in a shootout with police an hour later in a Wal-Mart parking lot after wounding two more officers. SPLC estimates that as many as 300,000 people may consider themselves sovereign citizens — and the number is growing.

Midtown Assassination: Smile! You're on camera.

A young man was brutally murdered in New York City by way of what many in the media and even law enforcement have deemed a "professional hit".  It was called a "professional hit" mainly due to the pre-hit surveillance on the target and the manner of execution.  However, there are some glaring errors I believe will lead to the killer(s) and co-conspirator's capture.  

I'm not sure how much many of you know about the assassination "business".  To say the least, as a lay person myself, I can only guess there would be some rules of the trade.  Let me share a few that I think would be important:

1. Always be aware of your surroundings.  In order to be a successful "hit man", you need to have the element of surprise and concealment.  You need surprise so your target doesn't become alerted to what you're trying to do (i.e. killing them).  If you're a person hired to kill someone, I'm imagining it would be bad for your target to turn around and see you carrying a pistol and getting ready to kill them.  Typically, a "hit man" would need concealment as well so there aren't any potential witnesses who could give away their activity to the target or the authorities.  So can someone explain to me how this "professional" killer didn't take note of the closed circuit television camera and the numerous car a few feet away?  The last thing any "professional" wants is to get caught on tape.  Last I checked, murder for hire is capital offense.
2. Never do a "hit" on a busy street or in plenty of light.  The way most CCTV cameras work is by using ambient and low-level light to illuminate the images they're capturing.  Most burglars know this - thus why they do what they do at night and in low light.  If I'm to believe what my eyes are showing me above, there are several shadows which appear to be pedestrian feet somewhere in the northern quadrant of this photo.  I can also make out the victim and the killer's face.  Again, another huge no-no for any "professional hit man".
3. Never allow your escape to be captured on video or by witnesses.  Witness reports are emerging that people saw the killer do the "hit" and noted a probable get-away vehicle which has since been discovered.  It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's about to happen next if not already.  The vehicle will be inventoried and searched for any evidence to include fingerprints and trace evidence left by the "hit man".  Also, take a few moments and imagine how this could have panned out had some hapless witness saw this and blocked the sedan from leaving.
4. Don't wait at the scene for 30 minutes outside of where you're going to meet the target.  Yup.  That's what this idiot did.  He waited for 30 minutes outside acting very suspicious.  He was seen pacing back and forth by the sedan that was later recovered.  In case you weren't aware, New York is home to some of the most aggressive police in the Western world.  So having a loaded pistol and seen pacing back and forth while waiting for your target is probably not what you want to do.  Below is surveillance footage released by the suspect as he's seen walking and hanging out by his getaway vehicle.  

So what does this mean for those of us in security and law enforcement?

• There is an increased level of violence and brazen violent activity by organized crime and other nefarious organizations that use this methodology.  We need to do a better job of educating and encouraging more citizens to report suspicious activity.  We need more foot patrols in our urban areas.  We need to encourage proactive private security elements to be on the look out for suspicious activity and report it to police as soon as possible.

What this case does demonstrate is a very important lesson for all of us:

• Report any and all suspicious activity.  There is no harm with having a police officer come out and investigate the nature of your suspicion.  That's their job.  No one wants to be a snitch but a man brought a weapon into a neighborhood where anyone could have been a collateral victim.  Having the homicide detectives show up two hours later is not the way to keep your street safe.  Call it in.  If you don't want to get involved and just need to make the initial report so someone will come out, make the call and tell the operator you don't want to give your name.  Explain you'll make a statement if it turns into something where a serious crime has been committed.  Many time the police may not need you to make a statement.  One call to the police could have spared this young man's life.  Now we'll never know.

How the LAPD are slashing car crime with Geospatial Intelligence by dgieurope

DGI's Online Editor, Dan Mellins-Cohen takes an unlikely turn at the geospatial intelligence and defence conference and speaks to Captain Sean Malinowski of the Los Angeles Police Department to find out the remarkable way they are utilising the power of geoint to slash car crime in LA!

Why Senator Tom Coburn Is Wrong About Columbus

Pro 3XE Underwater Search and Recovery Vehicle cited in Senator Tom Coburn's report
Credit: http://www.atlantasmarine.com/product/videoray-pro-3-gto

Last week, Senator Tom Coburn released a report criticizing various municipalities and the Department of Homeland Security for spending taxpayer dollars frivolously on various pieces of equipment, training exercises, and conferences.  His report, titled “Safety at Any Price: Assessing the Impact of Homeland Security Spending in US Cities, mentioned several cities including Columbus, Ohio.  I grew up in the Buckeye state for a while. As such, I pay attention to any allegations against our capital city, particularly with respect to homeland security.   So, I read the report and was surprised by its allegations.

On his web site, Senator Coburn states,

"Columbus, OH’s Underwater Robot: Columbus, Ohio recently purchased an “underwater robot” using a $98,000 UASI grant. The robot is mounted with a video providing a full-color display to a vehicle on shore. Officials on the Columbus City Council went so far as to declare the purchase an “emergency,” not because of security needs, but because of “federal grant deadlines.” If the money was not spent quickly, it would have returned to the Treasury. (Pg. 27 & 28 )"

In the report, he goes on further to state,

"The Columbus dive team, however, is responsible only for underwater search and recovery missions – not for rescue missions that may happen during a terror attack.  One of the team’s higher profile missions in recent years was the recovery of a
$2 million “sunken treasure” in the Scioto River."

So, naturally I did my own "investigation" into this allegation made against Columbus and DHS. Here's what I found out:

1. Columbus's police department is solely responsible for search and recovery.  It's in the standard operation procedures.  That much is true.  What his report fails to acknowledge is that after a terror attack the most important job any first responder agency can have is the search for human remains and evidence.  That too is in their SOP.  It states, "Underwater search and recovery operations encompass underwater criminal investigations, the recovery of bodies and property, and other operations, which by their nature fall into the scope of duties and obligations of the Division of Police."  Additionally, the Scioto River is 218 miles long and goes through downtown Columbus.  It also lays along the "approach" for Columbus International Airport.  Any counter-terrorism expert worth his/her salary will tell you this would be a natural place for an attack to occur and for law enforcement to begin search and recovery operations.  Given that debris fields from most major attacks extend for miles, it would be prudent for any law enforcement agency to look for evidence and possible human remains along this river.  My favorite item to back this up came from the FBI dive team site.  Yup.  The FBI says, "Our underwater experts can find clues and map out crime scenes in exactly those places and more...They’ve got some fancy tools and technologies to help them do their jobs: “side-scan sonar” that can detect debris...miniature remote-controlled subs that send real-time color video to the surface for on-the-spot identification and that can make videotapes of underwater searches for future use.  We’ve called on our dive teams many times over the years since the first one was launched in 1982. For example:  When TWA Flight 800 exploded over the Atlantic in 1996, our New York team helped scour a 40-square mile patch of the ocean floor, recovering the remains of all 230 victims and 96 percent of the airplane....Our teams have even traveled overseas to support such investigations as the terrorist attack on the USS Cole."
2. Columbus, Ohio is/was a terrorist target.  Many people don't think of Columbus, Ohio as being of major interest to al Qaeda.  However, in 2004, we learned different.  Nuradin Abdi, a Somali native plotted with three of his friends to attack a Columbus mall. Abdi entered this country with the sole intent to target Americans, after illegally entering in 1999.  In 2002, he along with two friends discussed bombing a mall in Columbus.  Abdi was sentenced to 10 years and was deported back to Somalia in November 2012.  Here's a link to his indictment - http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/85.pdf.  Here's a map of downtown Columbus.  Note it's approximal distance to the airport and the Scioto River:
   View Larger Map
3. The Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) this grant is managed states its purpose is "to directly support expanding regional collaboration and is meant to assist participants in their creation of regional systems for prevention, protection, response, and recovery."  Part of any response and recovery effort is search and recovery.  Seriously.  Anyone who took Emergency Management 101 knows that much.  The quicker you get to the bodies and the evidence the sooner you can figure who attacked you and more importantly, how.
4. The New York Police Department has the same robot.  How is it that I'm the only one who caught that?  That's right.  NYPD uses this robot on the missions I described and for bomb detection as well.  Why?  Because they have a river that flows through the heart of their city.  The only exception is the Scioto currently doesn't allow commercial ships due to the 2012 drought.
5. DHS did have a deadline that was approaching and the city council deemed funding was neccessary and determined it an emergency.  Why would call this an emergency?  Because of the ridiculous amount of time it takes for a city to make any purchases on their own.  The city simply didn't have $98k for an underwater robot.  What the report failed to mention was the city had done this numerous other times in an attempt to stockpile on homeland security equipment they felt they needed.  They purchased a similar robot for their fire department.  The exception is the fire department can't use their robot or their divers for recovery of evidence or remains.  This simply is not in their area of operations (AO).

So there you have it.  The truth about Columbus isn't what Senator Coburn made it out to be.  Senator Coburn is trying to bill himself as a good steward of taxpayer money.  While I appreciate his diligence, I am struggling with why he didn't go to these cities himself and ask the same questions I did.  Moreover, why isn't his staff asking these questions instead of producing hilarious cover art for his reports.

Why It May Be Time For The Pakistani Police To Implement Fitness Standards (and some performance evaluations too)

A Pakistani police (with few extra KGs) pulls security outside a mosque during Eid. twitter.com/combatjourno/s…
— Mustafa Kazemi (@combatjourno) November 28, 2012

I have nothing further to say.....

HOW-TO: Spot a Liar

If you're involved in investigations or ever have need to know if someone is deceiving you, then learning to spot a liar and their "tells" is paramount to your success.  "Tells" are those things in which we all do when telling a lie. Deception was man's first camouflage against other human enemies.  Just like camoflage, deception can be detected if you know what you're looking for.  I HIGHLY recommend watching the video below by Pamela Meyer, a lie detection expert.

According to her site, "Pamela Meyer is founder and CEO of Simpatico Networks, a leading private label social networking company that owns and operates online social networks. She holds an MBA from Harvard, an MA in Public Policy from Claremont Graduate School, and is a Certified Fraud Examiner. She has extensive training in the use of visual clues and psychology to detect deception."

Judging from this video, when they say a woman's intuition is almost always spot-on, I'm inclined to believe they may not be too off.

Click here to obtain a copy of her latest book - Liespotting: Proven Techniques to Detect.

Identity thieves tell their secrets...

Identity theft is a crime that every criminally-minded individual should participate in because it is one of the easiest crimes a person can commit with little to any experience and minute chance of being caught in the act.  This is largely in part to law enforcement agencies and financial institutions being deluged with requests to handle the investigations involved in these transactions to catch every thief.  While there was a significant drop in identity crimes reported, there were 8.1 million adults who reported being victims (myself included).  Moreover, very few victims file reports or know what it is that made them a victim in the first place.

In the report below, CBS News did something very few media outlets have done - interview real identity thieves.  The two ladies featured in this video describe how these crimes are committed and how they often get away with them.  They detail everything from how they obtained false fingerprints to using social engineering to withdraw large sums of money from victims' accounts.  They also provided some good information for banks and consumers.  

DEA Warns of Extortion Scams Using Online Pharmacies and DEA Agent Imposters

Buying prescription drugs online has always been a risky endeavor.  Customers have been duped by  fraudsters who ship placebos and collect their cash.   Or they may not ship at all and just keep the money.  As if that weren't bad enough, the Drug Enforcement Agency is now claiming people are being foiled again using a new scheme.

Impersonating DEA agents, the criminals are using these transactions to call the customers back and threaten arrest for violating drug import laws if they don't wire money to the fraudsters.  Some people have caved in and paid the money only to realize the scheme too late.  Who falls for these crimes?  The elderly usually are easy prey to these.  This is due in part being the largest consumer base of online pharmacies due to the availability of less expensive drugs sold from overseas merchants.  Often, they do not understand the drug import laws and are more likely to not question seemingly authentic authority figure to avoid further trouble.

According to The Denver Channel,

“I’m 52 years old. And I feel like the stupidest person on the earth. Why didn’t I listen to my husband. Why didn’t I do something different? Why am I so darn trusting after all these years?” said a Jefferson County woman who asked to be known only as Elizabeth.

She's cooperating with the DEA now and said she had purchased a weight-loss product online earlier this fall, and soon started getting phone calls at home from three different men, claiming a connection with the DEA.

Elizabeth said she wired nearly $10,000 to individuals in the Dominican Republic, believing she was avoiding jail time.

As you might have guessed or known, it is a crime to impersonate a federal agent.  The DEA is asking anyone receiving a telephone call from a person purporting to be a DEA special agent or other law enforcement official seeking money to refuse the demand and report the threat by calling 877-792-2873.

For further information, the DEA has a page regarding the scam at:
http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressreleases/extortion_scam.htm

Synthetic Marijuana: Will the law ever catch up to science?

We have reached a point in our "war on drugs" where the laws fail to keep pace with the science behind designing and concealing these drugs.  That seems like a very emphatic statement from a guy who has no degree in science.  However, a story I discovered by the Washington Post has helped me reach this conclusion.  The article outlines how illegal drug chemists have successfully thwarted prosecution by using chemicals not on the drug schedule list set by the Drug Enforcement Agency to manufacture drugs like "spice".

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has this to say about "spice":

“Spice” is used to describe a diverse family of herbal mixtures marketed under many names, including K2, fake marijuana, Yucatan Fire, Skunk, Moon Rocks, and others. These products contain dried, shredded plant material and presumably, chemical additives that are responsible for their psychoactive (mind-altering) effects. Spice mixtures are sold in many countries in head shops, gas stations, and via the Internet, although their sale and use are illegal throughout most European countries. Easy access has likely contributed to Spice’s popularity. While Spice products are labeled “not for human consumption,” they are marketed to people who are interested in herbal alternatives to marijuana (cannabis).

The chemicals used to make "spice" and are of concern to the DEA are CP 47,497 and homologues,HU-210, JWH-018, and JWH-073.  One chemical which should have caught your eye is HU-210.  It was recently listed in the Targeting Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2011 which prohibits "the manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance in schedule I or II or flunitrazepam by individuals having reasonable cause to believe that such substance will be unlawfully imported into the United States or into waters within 12 miles of the U.S. coast. Prohibits the manufacture or distribution of a listed chemical: (1) intending or knowing that it will be used to manufacture a controlled substance; and (2) intending, knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe that the substance will be unlawfully imported into the United States." This is important to note because chemists have gotten smarter and realized they no longer need HU-210 or any of the other compounds to have similar effects.

Due to the ever-changing illicit drug landscape, Senate bill 1612 (Targeting Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2011) was drafted.  It would help federal prosecutors charge those who imported or made chemicals used for the explicit purpose of making these compounds.  According to the summary text of the bill,

"Makes it sufficient to prove a conspiracy to commit an offense that requires the person to intend, know, or have reasonable cause to believe that a controlled substance will be unlawfully imported into the United States if only one member of the conspiracy had such intention, knowledge, or reasonable cause to believe."

However, as the Post article demonstrates, there are problems within states who do not have similar laws. Many states use archaic laws which specifically identify the drug and its current chemical makeup. They often fail to take into account how many times drugs like "spice" can be illegal one moment and legal the next due to the countless ways to make the drug without using any banned compounds. This is what gives these drugs their current demand among users who want to be able to purchase the drug "legally" without fear of prosecution. Another problem for some jurisdictions is testing. If you're testing for a group of compounds but the ingredients have changed or are masked, it could make reaching definitive conclusions about test results more difficult or near impossible.

When I was a security officer inside a housing area, I came across several young people who used synthetic marijuana they claimed was for "aroma-therapy". They claimed because this "legal weed" was "legal" because it only contained the scent of marijuana and not the compounds. I did my research and found that to be true as long as that was all there was to it. However, "spice" is known to have a similar scent as these "aroma-therapy" agents. Coincidentally, you can purchase these products online or in "head shops" around the country.

Aromatherapy "legal weed" on display at a storefront in Mississippi

The only way we can proactively combat this trend is to work on solving its underlying societal and individual causes for demand.  By simply eliminating supply or reducing it, you do nothing but increase its demand and value.  I'm not saying legalize it.  However, I believe until we mitigate how we as a society have failed to provide our children with enough intellectually and emotionally satisfying stimulants (i.e. loving homes, forward-thinking academics, community involvement, etc.), we will always be "behind the curve" in this "war".

Would you hire marijuana grower as your CSO? The Sinaloa cartel did....

Felipe Cabrera Sarabia is shown to the press under the custody of army soldiers at the federal organized crime investigations headquarters in Mexico City, Dec. 26, 2011. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

When I read a headline announcing Felipe Cabrera Sarabia's capture, I was expecting a guy from Scarface not a guy who looks like he should be at a booth for next year's ASIS conference.  The media and the Mexican authorities have dubbed him Joaquin Guzman Loera's "security engineer".  What that means in the security industry and what that means for the guy who protects the assets and safety of the world's biggest drug cartel are two very dissimilar things.

According to Forbes magazine, "Sarabia has allegedly been running operations for the Sinaloa cartel in northern Mexico". Can you imagine if Steve Jobs had left the daily operations of Apple to his chief security officer? I'm not knocking the person but that's one heck of leap. In addition to finding ways to protect the cartel from the Mexican authorities, Sarabia had the somewhat daunting task of dealing with rival cartels. If you've been paying any attention to events south of the U.S. border, you know this is not getting easier.

How and why Mr. Sarabia earned the moniker "security engineer" are what struck me, given his increased responsibilities since his boss went into hiding. Forbes stated, Mexican army spokesman General Ricardo Trevilla said in a press conference on Monday, "Cabrera and three of his brothers began as marijuana growers and that Cabrera rose through the Sinaloa ranks by using violence against his rivals. In recent months, Cabrera waged war against a rival faction of the Sinaloa cartel known as the "Ms", leading to a surge in violence around Durango."

In this June 20, 2011 photo released by Mexico's Attorney General's office, police from the Federal Public Ministry looks at drums of precursor chemicals for methamphetamine that were seized in Queretaro, Mexico. Mexican authorities have made two major busts in as many months in the quiet central state of Queretaro. In one case, they seized nearly 500 tons (450 metric tons) of precursor chemicals. Another netted 3.4 tons (3.1 metric tons) of pure meth, which at $15,000 a pound would have a street value of more than $100 million. Mexico's most powerful drug cartel appears to be expanding methamphetamine production on a massive scale, filling a gap left by the breakdown of a rival gang that was once the top trafficker of the synthetic drug. (AP Photo/Attorney General's office)

Mexican authorities found 14 mass graves with 287 bodies in Durango.  Cabrera was busy.  Killing is one thing but drug dealing is a whole separate part of his job.  Mexican law enforcement  has seized over 550 metric tons of chemicals used to make methamphetamine, in the last 6 to 8 months.

Mexican police excavating a mass grave in Durango

Just in case you're wondering how do you capture someone like this?  The answer is quite simple - snitches.  I just want you to know I have zero verifiable information to back that up.  However, there a few things the Mexicans admitted that bring me to that conclusion.  They stated not a single shot was fired.  That meant they had actionable intelligence on where he was and how vulnerable he would be when they struck.  You don't get that by listening to a wire all day.  You need someone on the inside and clearly the Mexicans did.

What does this mean for his boss and the cartel?  The U.S. currently has a $5 million bounty for Loera, while the Mexicans want him for $7 million.  Not bad for a guy who Forbes listed as a billionaire with over $1 billion in wealth and was listed as #55 out of 100 on their World's Most Powerful People List for 2011.  As far as the cartel is concerned, who knows.  My guess is they'll capture or kill Loera (my money is on the latter) and they'll proclaim a major "victory".  This will put a very small dent in the overall drug trade, as the international appetite for drugs continues to grow at an exponential rate.  Supply and demand is the law of the drug trade.

If you have any information about the whereabouts of Mr. Loera, call:

1-877-WANTED2 (1-877-926-8332)

Police and ex-burglar working together......

 

Reformed burglar: Jason Fleming, 32, who broke into more than
150 properties, is leading an anti-crime campaign with Police Constable Andy Pickerin

Having spent 1/3 of my career in England, there are moments I truly miss it - in particular their attitude towards crime prevention.  I found a fine example of this in a Daily Mail (UK) article.  It seems a burglar went around scouting out new places to rob.  During his burglary scouting trips, he would note all sorts of things like houses and cars that were easy to rob and which tools would be necessary to gain access to them.  If you're wondering how the cops got a hold of it, that's simple - he dropped them while burglarizing a home.  As you can imagine, the police caught this latest Darwin Award recipient and he's been sentenced to two years imprisonment as a reward for his diligent work.

What makes this a crime prevention masterpiece?  It seems like the local cops weren't just satisfied with just arresting this perpetrator.  No, they saw a "teachable moment" as we Americans like to say.  They magnified the note and began posting it while conducting face-to-face meet-and-greets between local citizens and a "reformed burglar".  So what did they talk about?  He mention the vulnerabilities these residents had such as unlocked vehicles and doors which led into tool sheds or gardens and how he tempted had he still been engaged in his previous profession to pay them another visit.

Targeting Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2011 passed by US Senate

Ahhh snap!  According to United States Senate, the boys and gals at the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration just got "additional tools to target extraterritorial drug trafficking activity".  Yesterday, December 15, they passed Senate Bill 1612 (aka Targeting Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2011) introduced by Senators Gloria Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Robert Casey (D-PA), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).    Basically, this makes it a crime to manufacture or distribute a chemical knowing or intending for its import into the United States specifically within 12 nautical miles of the US.  What does that mean?  Let's say, you distribute HU-210 (synthetic cannabis) which is "100 to 800 times more potent than natural THC".  Given the knowledge of its Schedule I status, any chemicals found to be used in its creation could become prosecutable.  The manufacturers of these compounds have also won themselves at the defense table along with you.  If enforced, this might have a profound impact on loophole-savvy "legal pot" storefronts.