(ARA) – What do a recent global crackdown on Internet child pornography and the arrest of Dennis Rader, the infamous “BTK” serial killer have in common with the Sept. 11 attacks on America? All are high profile crimes investigated not only by conventional police investigators, but by those specially trained in computer forensics, a new area of crime fighting.
Computer forensics is a branch of forensic science pertaining to legal evidence found in computers and digital storage mediums. Experts in this field investigate data storage devices such as hard drives, USB drives, CD-ROMS, floppy disks, etc., identifying, preserving and analyzing documentary and other digital evidence.
While most of the attention given to people working in this field comes from the work they do with police to help solve high profile crimes, that is not the only role they play. Individual companies are hiring forensic computer experts to perform such roles as determining the root cause of a hacker attack, collecting evidence legally admissible in court, and protecting corporate assets and reputations from crimes such as white-collar fraud.
Andrew Hildebrand, CPA, CVA, JD and dean of business programs at DeVry University in Fort Washington, Penn., offers this example of just how important a computer forensics expert’s role is in a corporate investigation of financial crime. “First a CPA would be contacted by an attorney to work on proving financial fraud. The CPA would need to have financial records and data, some of which may be in electronic format,” he says.
“Many times in these types of fraud cases, the suspect has attempted to cover-up the crime by deleting various documents, such as MS Word memos and MS Excel spreadsheets,” Hildebrand adds. “Once the accountants have some idea of what they are looking for, we can work with the computer forensics professional to recover the deleted material. During every step from seizure of the computer through to court testimony, the computer forensics professional will use their expertise to ensure that the data is recovered and the laws of evidence are respected.”
Realizing the growing need for trained professionals with this area of expertise, schools such as DeVry University, one of the country’s largest, publicly held, degree-granting higher education systems in the U.S., have developed special degree programs to train the experts of tomorrow. DeVry University offers an accelerated bachelor’s degree program in Computer Information Systems with a specialized track in computer forensics that can be completed in three years. As they are pursuing their degree, students learn how to follow the trail of computer clues that are left behind when someone commits a crime of technology. They also learn how to document evidence and how to coordinate with law enforcement to track the movements of the bad guys.
“Students will be prepared for jobs such as security auditor, security specialist, security administrator, security analyst, Web security manager, security director, digital forensic investigator, privacy officer and compliance officer,” says Rajin Koonjbearry, an instructor at DeVry University in Dallas. “These jobs are in high demand and will continue to grow because of new and changing regulatory requirements.”
Among the career avenues available for students graduating with a specialization in computer forensics:
* Law Enforcement. Police departments and sheriff’s offices nationwide are looking for computer forensics professionals to help them investigate computer-related crimes.
* Corporate. Those with a computer forensics background can help companies protect their computer systems from outside attacks.
* Private Organizations. Any private organization with its own network needs computer forensics professionals to maintain surveillance on their systems.
* Software Programmers. The advice that the computer forensics degree holder can provide a software company about the stability of their programs is always welcomed.
“We are responding to the changing IT industry in order to ensure DeVry University graduates are prepared to excel in emerging industry areas,” says Eddie Wachter, Ph.D., dean of academic affairs at DeVry University Central Florida. “Professionals who know how to protect companies and consumers from cyber crime will be in great demand in our increasingly networked world, and the new specialized options give our students the edge in this evolving industry.”
To learn more about DeVry University’s Computer Information Systems (CIS) degree program, log on to http://www.DeVry.edu .
TORNADO*FLASHFLOODS*WINTERSTORM* HURRICANE*FIRE*HAZARDOUS*
MATERIALS SPILL,
The next time disaster strikes, you may not have much time
to act. Prepare now for a sudden emergency.
Learn how to protect yourself and cope with disaster by
planning ahead. This checklist will help you get started.
Discuss these ideas with your family, then prepare an emergency
plan. Post the plan where everyone will see it–on the
refrigerator or bulletin board.
For additional information about how to prepare for
hazards in your community, contact your local emergency
management or civil defense office and American Red Cross
chapter.
Emergency Checklist
Call Your Emergency Management Office or American Red Cross
Chapter
* Find out which disasters could occur in your area.
* Ask how to prepare for each disaster.
* Ask how you would be warned of an emergency.
* Learn your community’s evacuation routes.
* Ask about special assistance for elderly or disabled
persons.
Also…
* Ask your workplace about emergency plans.
* Learn about emergency plans for your children’s school or
day care center.
Create an Emergency Plan
* Meet with household members. Discuss with children the
dangers of fire, severe weather, earthquakes and other
emergencies.
* Discuss how to respond to each disaster that could occur.
* Discuss what to do about power outages and personal
injuries.
* Draw a floor plan of your home. Mark two escape routes
from each room.
* Learn how to turn off the water, gas and electricity at
main switches.
* Post emergency telephone numbers near telephones.
* Teach children how and when to call 911, police and fire.
* Instruct household members to mm on the radio for
emergency information.
* Pick one out-of-state and one local friend or relative for
family members to call if separated by disaster (it is
often easier to call out-of-state than within the affected
area).
* Teach children how to make long distance telephone calls.
* Pick two meeting places.
1) A place near your home in case of a fire.
2) A place outside your neighborhood in case you cannot
return home after a disaster.
* Take a basic first aid and CPR class.
* Keep family records in a water and fire-proof container.
Prepare a Disaster Supplies Kit
Assemble supplies you might need in an evacuation. Store
them in an easy-to-carry container such as a backpack or duffle
bag.
Include:
* A supply of water (one gallon per person per day). Store
water in sealed, unbreakable containers. Identify the
storage date and replace every six months.
* A supply of non-perishable packaged or canned food and a
non-electric can opener.
* A change of clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes.
* Blankets or sleeping bags.
* A first aid kit and prescription medications.
* An extra pair of glasses.
* A battery-powered radio, flashlight and plenty of extra
batteries.
* Credit cards and cash.
* An extra set of car keys.
* A list of family physicians.
* A list of important family information; the style and
serial number of medical devices such as pacemakers.
* Special items for infants, elderly or disabled family
members.
Emergency Plan
Out-of-State Contact
Name__________________________________________________
City__________________________________________________
Telephone (Day)________________(Evening)______________
Local Contact
Name__________________________________________________
Telephone (Day)________________(Evening)______________
Nearest Relative
Name__________________________________________________
City__________________________________________________
Telephone (Day)________________(Evening)______________
Family Work Numbers
Father_________________________Mother_________________
Other_________________________________________________
Emergency Telephone Numbers
In a life threatening emergency, dial 911 or the local
emergency medical services system number.
Police Department_____________________________________
Fire Department_______________________________________
Hospital______________________________________________
Family Physicians
Name___________________________Telephone_______________
Name___________________________Telephone_______________
Name___________________________Telephone_______________
Reunion Locations
1. Right outside your home____________________________
______________________________________________________
2. Away from the neighborhood, in case you cannot
return home___________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________
Telephone_____________________________________________
Route to try first____________________________________
______________________________________________________
Escape Plan
In a fire or other emergency, you may need to evacuate
your house, apartment or mobile home on a moment’s notice. You
should be ready to get out fast.
Develop an escape plan by drawing a floor plan of your
residence. Using a black or blue pen, show the location of
doors, windows, stairways, and large furniture. Indicate the
location of emergency supplies (Disaster Supplies Kit), fire
extinguishers, smoke detectors, collapsible ladders, first aid
kits and utility shut off points. Next, use a colored pen to
draw a broken line charting at least two escape routes from
each room. Finally, mark a place outside of the home where
household members should meet in case of fire.
Be sure to include important points outside such as
garages, patios, stairways, elevators, driveways and porches.
If your home has more than two floors, use an additional sheet
of paper. Practice emergency evacuation drills with all
household members at least two times each year.
Example:
Home Hazard Hunt
In a disaster, ordinary items in the home can cause injury
and damage. Anything that can move, fall, break or cause a fire
is a potential hazard.
* Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas
connections.
* Fasten shelves securely.
* Place large, heavy objects on lower shelves.
* Hang pictures and minors away from beds.
* Brace overhead light fixtures.
* Secure water heater. Snap to wall studs.
* Repair cracks in ceilings or foundations.
* Store weed killers, pesticides and flammable products away
from heat sources.
* Place oily polishing rags or waste in covered metal cans.
* Clean and repair chimneys, flue pipes, vent connectors and
gas vents.
If You Need to Evacuate
* Listen to a battery powered radio for the location of
emergency shelters. Follow instructions of local
officials.
* Wear protective clothing and sturdy shoes.
* Take your Disaster Supplies Kit.
* Lock your house.
* Use travel routes specified by local officials.
If you are sure you have time …
* Shut off water, gas and electricity, if instructed to do
so.
* Let others know when you left and where you are going.
* Make arrangements for pets. Animals may not be allowed in
public shelters.
Prepare an Emergency Car Kit
Include:
* Battery powered radio and extra batteries
* Flashlight and extra batteries
* Blanket
* Booster cables
* Fire extinguisher (5 lb, A-B-C type)
* First aid kit and manual
* Bottled water and non-perishable high energy foods such as
granola bars, raisins and peanut butter.
* Maps
* Shovel
* Tire repair kit and pump
* Flares
Fire Safety
* Plan two escape routes out of each room.
* Teach family members to stay low to the ground when
escaping from a fire.
* Teach family members never to open doors that are hot. In
a fire, feel the bottom of the door with the palm of your
hand. If it is hot, do not open the door. Find another way
out.
* Install smoke detectors. Clean and test smoke detectors
once a month. Change batteries at least once a year.
* Keep a whistle in each bedroom to awaken household members
in case of fire.
* Check electrical outlets. Do not overload outlets.
* Purchase a fire extinguisher (5 lb., A-B-C type).
* Have a collapsible ladder on each upper floor of your
house.
* Consider installing home sprinklers.
Add Your Link For Higher Page Rank: City5nc.com Link Directory
On Thursday, December 20, the
Garner Police Department presented
their annual awards. Many of the
awards were given for the capture and
arrest of Samuel Cooper on November
21st. Officer Ben Deese, Lieutenant
Wayne Moore, and Investigators Grant
Davis and Don McDuffie were given
certificates for the work they did in arresting
Cooper and the investigated
work that led him to be charged with
five murders. Calvin Pendergraph, a
local citizen, was given the civilian citation
for his role in helping police locate
Cooper’s vehicle after robbing the
bank.
Also recognized were members
of the Accreditation team. The team
has worked endless hours to secure a
fourth straight accreditation. The Garner
Police Department is one of only
38 agencies of 507 total agencies to be
accredited in North Carolina.
The Department also recognized
Investigator Scott Selvek, Officer Brian
McLean, and Officer William Hinson for
completion of the Advanced Law Enforcement
certificates. Also, Officer
Paul Caldwell, School Resource Officer
at East Garner Magnet Middle School
was recognized for completing the
School Resource Officer Certificate
Program.
Garner NC City Guide A Business Directory
RALEIGH, N.C. - Wake Tech’s new Public Safety Training Center opened to serve the growing needs of area law enforcement and other public service agencies. The Center, at 321 Chapanoke Road in Raleigh, will train law enforcement officers, firefighters, corrections officers, and emergency medical service providers. It is the first centralized facility for training of this kind in Wake County.
“Safety is paramount,” said President Scott, “a concern for every individual, every family, and the whole community. Our Public Safety Training Center will train and prepare the safety professionals we depend on and will need even more as our region keeps growing.”
Wake Tech currently provides in-service training to more than 4,500 law enforcement and fire safety personnel each year. Enrollment in law enforcement classes alone has more than doubled in just the past five years - from 7,100 to 14,400. (These figures include personnel who return to Wake Tech for repeat training in a variety of areas.) Until now that training, for local police departments, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the State Highway Patrol, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the N.C. Department of Corrections, has taken place at 16 locations around Wake County.
The training of fire and rescue personnel is also on the rise. Enrollment in these classes has grown 33 percent over the past five years - from 8,600 to 11,500. Due to the nature of the training, much of it will continue to be offered on site at fire department facilities across the county.
Right now, the Public Safety Training Center occupies just 18,520 square feet of the Chapanoke Road facility’s total 100,666 square feet. Wake Tech purchased the building and completed Phase I renovations - offices, classrooms, and a weight training facility - with approximately $5 million in funds from the 2004 county bond referendum.
Design on Phase II renovations will begin next year, with completion planned for 2010. Wake Tech plans to make the Center a model regional training facility with the addition of a mock courtroom and jail, a booking center, and additional classrooms for forensics and other instruction. Emergency Medical Training will be added as well. Nearly $14 million in bond funds, approved in October of this year, will support these renovations.
“Our officers and instructors have waited a long time for a facility like this,” said Anthony Caison, Wake Tech’s Dean of Public Safety Training. “It will offer the latest technologies and high quality training they need - all under one roof.”
The Public Safety Training Center will begin with courses offerings such as Crime Scene Investigation, DWI Detection, and Field Training Officer instruction.
Read More:CarolinaNewsWire
ARA) – Worn tires are blamed for the death of an Irving, Texas, police officer killed in a crash on his way to a call this past April; and in Greenville, S.C., two ambulance workers were recently injured and a patient killed when their vehicle flipped after the rear tire tread came off .
First responders put their lives on the line every day to help others; never expecting to run into problems with their equipment, but it happens. In an effort to show appreciation for the work firefighters and EMS personnel do, Michelin North America is encouraging individuals and communities to nominate a first responder to win a new set of tires, ensuring that safe and reliable tires will be on the community’s emergency response vehicle. This year, 50 winners will be awarded a set of new tires, double last year’s prize. To nominate a local hero, visit www.MichelinMan.com and either e-mail a nomination prior to November 23, or print and mail the form postmarked by November 15.
Ryan Sutter, reality television star from “The Bachelorette” and full-time firefighter for Vail Fire and Emergency Services is working with Michelin to raise awareness of the importance of tire safety for first responders.
“Tire maintenance is essential to emergency responder vehicles and many fire departments and EMS units struggle to maintain their vehicles,” says Sutter. “Through this Michelin program, communities have the opportunity to recognize the brave efforts of local first responders and help them maintain vehicle safety by nominating them for new tires.”
Last year Linda Embry of Marietta, S.C., submitted her nomination, husband David Embry, as the community’s hero and he became the first winner to receive a new set of Michelin tires for his vehicle.
“My husband David works selflessly to help the people of our community. People know they can call him at home at anytime and he will drop what he is doing and get to them. Right now he is at the church “Trunk or Treat,” operating a borrowed smoke house to teach children fire safety,” Embry wrote in her nomination. “I know he’s my husband, but I can’t imagine anyone more deserving of being recognized as a local hero. And I can’t imagine anything making him any happier than winning a new set of Michelin tires for his beloved fire department.”
Many local fire departments are under funded and sponsor chili cook-offs or hold pancake breakfasts to raise money for vehicle maintenance and repairs. New tires are a necessity that many departments cannot afford. Take the time to nominate an individual or team and help ensure the safety of the people who generously and selflessly keep their communities safe.
Remember, tire safety is important for the safety of emergency responders, but also for individuals too. Here are some things to think about for all vehicles:
* Air Pressure
Keeping tires properly inflated is essential for the maximum performance and longevity of the tire, as well as the ride quality and safety of the vehicle. Tires carry the entire weight of the vehicle and when under inflated or over inflated, they cannot do their job properly. Check pressure once a month.
* Tread
Looking at the wear and tear of the tread of a tire can tell its history. Tread is important to help the vehicle properly grip the road. Wear in the middle of the tire indicates over inflation for a significant amount of time, as wear on both outer edges indicates under inflation.
* Rotation
Regular rotation extends the life of the tires, saving both time and money in the long run. For rotation, each tire and wheel is removed from the vehicle and replaced in a different position. This ensures that all of the tires wear evenly and last longer.
*Alignment
Alignment generally refers to the adjustment of a vehicle’s front and rear suspension parts. Proper alignment not only ensures that the vehicle handles correctly but it will also help increase the life and performance of the tires. Check alignment after hitting an object, when wear patterns develop on the shoulders of the tires or if there is a difference in vehicle handling.
For more information visit www.MichelinMan.com.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Baker won sheriff’s post in ‘78, set mark for service
RALEIGH - When John Baker Jr. was a child, his father was hired as Raleigh’s first black police officer. The son vowed that one day he would become sheriff.
It was a pretty heady dream for an African-American boy growing up in the segregated South during the 1940s and 1950s. After a career as an NFL defensive lineman, Baker achieved it.
He was the first elected black sheriff in North Carolina since Reconstruction.
Baker, 72, died in his sleep Wednesday morning, said his pastor, Marion Robinson of St. Matthews AME Zion Church. Robinson said Baker had been sick for several months. He declined to discuss the nature of the former sheriff’s illness.
Baker, a hulking man, gravel-voiced but soft-spoken, was sheriff for 24 years, from 1978 to 2002. Along the way, he modernized the Sheriff’s Office. He started the county’s gun permit system and formed the first sheriff’s homicide unit. He also hired more patrol officers and was instrumental in getting the $56 million Wake Public Safety Center built in downtown Raleigh.
Before becoming sheriff, Baker was a college football All-American at what is now N.C. Central University from 1954 through 1957. He was selected in the fifth round of the NFL draft by the then-Los Angeles Rams and went on to play 11 seasons with the Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions. He was elected to NCCU’s inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.
Ferocious on the field
Herman Boone, 72, a college teammate, said Baker “terrorized all of North Carolina” during his high school football days. Baker carried that ferocity with him to college and pro ball. But off the field, Baker was “just the nicest guy God ever created,” said Boone, of Alexandria, Va.
“He would take your head off in a moment’s notice and at the end of the play give it back and warn you not to come that way again,” Boone said. “Off the field, other than his size, you would have never known he was a football player. He was like a big teddy bear.”
In 1964, Baker’s ferociousness on the field helped produce an enduring image of the game — New York Giants quarterback Y.A. Tittle kneeling on the field with blood on his helmetless head, after being tackled by Baker.
After his football days, Baker took his calm, tenacious spirit to the political arena. His first foray into politics came in 1975 when he served as an aide to U.S. Sen. Robert Morgan. One year later, he worked as deputy state chairman for Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign.
Blacks in politics
When Baker was elected sheriff in 1978, he followed a vanguard of young and ambitious black politicians who were elected during the post-civil rights era, including Raleigh’s first black mayor, Clarence Lightner, in 1973.
Still, when Baker was elected, the idea of a black lawman serving in a predominantly white capital city in the South was a “major rallying point” for African-Americans in Raleigh and throughout Wake County, said Ralph Campbell, a former state auditor.
“I still have the T-shirt and campaign button around here somewhere,” Campbell said. “The button was shaped like a star — which everyone cherished — that said ‘Baker Backer.’ After that, John became a political icon.”
His tenure was not without controversy. Baker, a Democrat, clashed with the Republican-dominated county Board of Commissioners during the 1990s, particularly over the size and budget of his office.
In 1996, Baker ran newspaper ads accusing county commissioners of not heeding the public’s concerns about crime by refusing his requests for more deputies. Baker wanted the county to pay for the ads; the commissioners refused, saying the ads were a political swipe at them. The News & Observer eventually sued the county and Baker to collect $7,600 for the advertisements. Baker and the commission settled their differences and the bill was paid
Read More:News & Observer
APEX - For a day, Durham wasn’t the only place famous for bull.Around 2:30 p.m. Friday, Bone Collector, a rodeo bull, plowed through a fence at the Apex Veterinary Hospital, 1600 E. Williams St., said Apex police Sgt. G. Rhodes. Apex authorities and veterinary workers immediately gave chase.
The bull had been spotted several times in the town but eluded officers well into the evening, Rhodes said.
Then around 8:30 p.m., a resident spotted the bull grazing in a pasture off Apex-Holly Springs Road.
Read More: News & Observer
A man says a Wake deputy assaulted him and tried to have him targeted in drug case
RALEIGH - The Wake County Sheriff’s Office requested Tuesday that the State Bureau of Investigation open an inquiry into a deputy accused in a lawsuit of beating up a man and arranging to have the man targeted in a drug case, according to an SBI spokeswoman.
Nabil “Billy” Yousef Asaad, 39, also filed a lawsuit Friday accusing Master Deputy W.B. Burgess of handcuffing, punching, kicking, hitting and threatening him May 11. Burgess had come to a warehouse unit Asaad leased for his U-Haul rental business at 3301 Jones Sausage Road in Garner.
Burgess, an 11-year employee of the department, said he couldn’t talk about the May incident because the lawsuit is pending.
The independent SBI investigation would be handed off to the Wake District Attorney’s Office after its completion, said Noelle Talley, spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office. Talley could confirm only that the SBI was contacted regarding Burgess and couldn’t specify what the scope of the investigation would be.
Phyllis Stephens, a spokeswoman with the sheriff’s office, said the office referred the matter to the SBI for a different reason. She would not specify what the reason was.
An internal investigation was put on hold because Asaad’s attorney would make him available only through a deposition and not in a separate interviews with sheriff’s investigators, Stephens said.
On May 11, Burgess arrived to follow up on a Wayne County court decision involving Asaad’s brother. Burgess is assigned to the judicial services division of the department. The brother, Gino Asaad, had rented the unit before Asaad took over the lease, according to the lawsuit.
Asaad told Burgess he wasn’t the person Burgess was looking for, the lawsuit states. Asaad also had ongoing problems with the warehouse owner, Matt Stephens, and the lawsuit accuses Burgess of assaulting Asaad at Matt Stephens’ urging. Stephens, through his attorney, declined to comment but indicated in court papers that Asaad was behind on his rent. Stephens is not related to the spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.
Burgess is accused of knocking a video camera out of Asaad’s hand, according to a letter written to Wake Sheriff Donnie Harrison by Alex Charns, Asaad’s attorney.
After that, Burgess told Asaad, “You’re screwing around with the wrong one, my man,” before telling Asaad that he was going to arrest him on a charge of resisting and delaying an officer, a misdemeanor charge, according to Charns’ letter. Asaad was handcuffed.
Read More: News & Observer
Sheriff’s office says man may have killed woman, then himself
APEX - The Wake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an apparent murder-suicide discovered Sunday.
Authorities were called to 4404 Green Level Road West about 11:20 a.m. where they found Jessica Leigh Johnson, 20, and Jason Daniel Sehulster, 34, both of Apex, dead outside Johnson’s mobile home, said Phyllis Stephens, spokeswoman for the sheriff’s department.
“The victims were acquainted with each other,” Stephens said. The shooting was the result of “a domestic situation.”
Sehulster lived at 132 Evening Star Drive with Alice Ann Sehulster, according to Wake County property records. Messages left for Alice Ann Sehulster were not immediately returned.
Stephens said evidence at the scene indicated Jason Sehulster might have shot Johnson, then turned the gun on himself.
The scene where the shooting took place isn’t visible from the street because it is blocked by another mobile home and a ranch-style house.
Read More: News & Observer
