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An Ohio man, high on bath salts, was shot by police while holding his girlfriend at knifepoint. After using spice, a Texas man assaulted his housemates and beat, strangled, and bit off pieces of a pet dogs flesh. A Louisiana man slit his throat in front of his family after snorting bath salts. The Attorney Generals Office has stepped up efforts to fight the abuse and sale of synthetic drugs, which endanger users, law enforcement, medical personnel, and others. Here are ways the office can help local authorities: The Bureau of Criminal Investigation can provide investigative assistance, including undercover agents, money for drug buys, surveillance cameras, digital recorders, and body wires. For help, call 855-BCI-OHIO (224-6446).
The Special Prosecutions Unit can assist in bringing cases, talk prosecutors through options, suggest expert witnesses, and provide sample motions and indictments. For assistance, call 614-644-7233. Beginning in February, the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy will offer regional courses detailing how to investigate synthetic drug cases and collect evidence against Ohio distributors. Courses will be listed at www.OhioAttorney General.gov/OPOTA. Whether its the users who consume them, the families that suffer the aftermath, or the law enforcement officers who must deal with both, synthetic drugs are destroying many lives, Attorney General Mike DeWine said in announcing the additional
assistance. People mistakenly think that, because this stuff comes in what appear to be commercial packages and is readily available over the counter and on the Internet, its safe. Its not.
Nothing is more important than protecting our kids from harm. Unfortunately, the horrific school shooting in Connecticut and the tragedy in our own state last year in Chardon remind us how difficult that task can be. Creating the safest possible learning environments for our children can only be accomplished by working together. For the Attorney Generals Office, that means partnering with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), other associations, and law enforcement throughout the state on initiatives, trainings, and other measures. For local law enforcement agencies, it means working with their communities teachers, administrators, parents, and school boards. Safety planning offers an excellent opportunity for ongoing conversations between local law enforcement and their schools. As you know, all Ohio schools must file school safety plans with my office. All but a small percentage have complied, however the quality of those plans varies widely. Ensuring that the plans are comprehensive and reflect best practices should be a constant process involving all segments of a local community,
particularly law enforcement. I encourage you to reach out to your schools to offer insight and assistance. My offices School Safety Task Force developed guidelines for the plans that can serve as a valuable resource. They are available at www.OHLEG.org. Through a partnership between my office and ODE, the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) will offer a new course for educators across Ohio. The free course, Active Shooter Training for Educators, provides guidance on responding to an active shooting and taking preventive measures. I suggest teams of local law enforcement and school officials attend together to enhance planning and communication. OPOTA also offers free Profile of an Active Shooter and Single Officer Response to Active Shooter trainings to law enforcement. All of these courses will be listed at www.OhioAttorney General.gov/OPOTA as they are scheduled. We think of first responders as law enforcement and fire departments. But when there is a school emergency, educators really are the first responders. We need to adopt a holistic approach
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
UPDATE
Criminal Justice Update typically is published four times a year by the Ohio Attorney Generals Office, primarily for members of Ohios criminal justice community. To share story ideas or alert us to address changes, contact Editor Mary Alice Casey at 614-728-5417 or Mary.Alice.Casey@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov. Volume 5, Issue 1 WINTER 2013 Copyright 2013 by Ohio Attorney Generals Office 30 E. Broad St., 17th Floor Columbus, OH 43215 www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/ CriminalJusticeUpdate
VANTAGE POINT
Lifetime Achievement Award Detective Jeffrey S. Collins Columbus Division of Police One sign of a persons influence is the number of people who follow in his path. By that and many other measures, Detective Jeffery S. Collins can take great pride in his lifes work. His daughter Heather is a Columbus detective, and several members of the Boy Scout Explorer Post that Collins advised also are with Ohio police departments. When Collins realized that many post members had dropped out of school, he launched a program to help them prepare for the GED. Still, they felt their lack of a real diploma would hold them back until Collins showed them his own GED diploma. In his 39 years with the force, Collins worked in the Patrol, Radio, SWAT, Crime Scene Search, Special Forces Airport, Ordnance, and Detective Bureau, earning many commendations from citizens, colleagues, and supervisors. Training Award Captain Dale A. Soltis Summit County Sheriffs Office Capt. Dale A. Soltis is a born teacher. A member of the Summit County Sheriffs Office since 1985, Soltis holds a bachelors degree in education, which hes put to good use. Soltis earned his peace officer instructor certificate in 1991 and has amassed a mountain of training and instructor certificates in the years since. His students have ranged from law enforcement officers enrolled in firearms, ethics, and other courses to adults in Red Cross CPR classes to youngsters in DARE. He was named training division commander in 2006 and is a go-to instructor for his and other departments as well as basic academies. Service Award Assistant Chief Cindy M. Combs Cincinnati Police Department Leadership is in Lt. Col. Cindy M. Combs blood. Combs retired in April after 32 years with the Cincin-
nati Police Department, including more than 10 years as assistant chief of police. She was the first woman in her department to fill that role. As assistant chief, she oversaw a budget of more than $100 million along with grants, human resources, information technology and records functions, police academy operations, training, and evidence management. She co-developed Cincinnatis Neighborhood Enhancement Program, named the top program of its kind in the U.S. in 2008, and she spearheaded the purchase and build-out of the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Regional Operations Center, which houses emergency communication, IT, crime analysis, and tactical planning functions. Group Achievement Award Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent James E. Hardie, Task Force Coordinator Special Agent Laura E. Lebo Victim Specialist Jennifer Jo Meyers Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent David W. Pauly Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Stacy L. Stidham Lima Police Department Investigator David R. Gillispie Perrysburg Township Police Department Detective Scott C. Moskowitz Toledo Police Department Detective Peter J. Swartz Fulton County Sheriffs Office Agent Alessandra Norden Ottawa County Sheriffs Office Detective Amy J. Harrell Getting any federal task force off the ground takes time and hard work, and the Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes
Against Children Task Force was no exception. Today, the efforts are paying off. Formed in 2006 to combat a significant juvenile sex trafficking problem in Toledo, the task force is one of 44 operating under the FBIs Innocence Lost National Initiative. The task force has recovered or identified more than 100 juvenile victims of prostitution since its inception and is involved in about 40 active investigations. Since 2010, it has charged about 25 subjects, and many have been convicted. The task force was among three of 44 asked to participate in the FBIs national Crimes Against Children Unit best-practices symposium to showcase its work with victims. Group Achievement Award Muskingum County Sheriffs Office Members of the Muskingum County Sheriffs Office faced a situation the night of Oct. 18, 2011, that no law enforcement officer would ever dream of confronting: A resident whose farm abutted Interstate 70 just minutes west of Zanesville had released 48 exotic animals and taken his own life. Amazingly, the only human life lost was that of the animals owner. But deputies were forced to shoot dozens of creatures to ensure public safety, including 18 tigers, 17 lions, three mountain lions, and two bears. In response, Ohio legislators passed a law that bans the acquisition, sale, and breeding of restricted species beginning in January 2014 and requires current owners to register their animals with the state. Group Achievement Award Chardon Police Department Geauga County Sheriffs Office Geauga County Prosecutors Office Bureau of Criminal Investigation Chester Township Police Department Ohio State Highway Patrol Federal Bureau of Investigation Several law enforcement officers responding to the shooting at Chardon High School in February had children in the school. But they still got right to work, trusting that school officials would safeguard their kids. School District
Were gathered today to honor exceptional law enforcement officers who have dedicated their careers to protecting Ohios families. It is my honor and privilege to present these awards.
Attorney General Mike DeWine
Superintendent Joseph Bergant said that typified officers heroism throughout the ordeal. Within minutes of the 911 call, first responders were on the scene, where six students had been shot in the school cafeteria. Three of the students died, and another was paralyzed. Intelligence gathered from hundreds of students, teachers, and administrators revealed a suspect, whom authorities tracked through the woods and apprehended within the first hour. He faces multiple charges, including three counts of aggravated murder. Meritorious Service Award Officer Stephen Bower Cincinnati Police Department Office Stephen Bower was working an off-duty detail in northeast Cincinnati in the early morning hours of Aug. 2, 2011, when the manager of a nearby bar asked him to respond to a fight in a parking lot. The officer positioned his cruiser in an adjoining parking lot to get a good view of the scene and saw a subject firing toward a crowd. When Bower ordered the man to drop his gun, the suspect fired at him and fled the parking lot. The officer began to pursue him when shots rang out from the area where onlookers had gathered. Bower abandoned the pursuit and took cover, and the shooters fled. Later, a man believed to be the original suspect sought treatment for a gunshot wound and was arrested. Meritorious Service Award Officer Theodore Davis Officer Joel A. Moledor Cuyahoga Falls Police Department Officers Theodore Davis and Joel A. Moledor were dispatched to a Cuyahoga Falls residence shortly after midnight on Nov. 21, 2011, and heard a woman screaming for help and her estranged husband yelling at her in a locked garage. Moledor kicked in a side door of the garage, and the officers found the woman on the ground bleeding and the man holding a knife. On officers orders, the man dropped his weapon and was taken into custody. He was charged with five crimes, including attempted murder.
Meritorious Service Award Patrolman Kyle Nietert University Heights Police Department Five family members have Patrolman Kyle Nietert to thank for their lives following a 2 a.m. house fire on July 9, 2011. Already on patrol nearby, Nietert arrived at the home 45 seconds after the emergency broadcast. A man leaning from an upstairs window shouted that he, his wife, and three children were trapped on the second floor by flames and smoke. Within three minutes of his arrival, and before fire units arrived, Patrolman Nietert rescued the family, whose members suffered only minor smoke inhalation. He also assisted three firefighters injured in the blaze, one seriously. Meritorious Service Award Officer Diondre Winstead Cincinnati Police Department Officer Diondre Winstead responded to Cincinnatis College Hill neighborhood the evening of Nov. 5, 2011, to help apprehend an armed felon spotted by members of a local citizens patrol. The man fled on foot, and Officer Winstead gave chase. The subject jumped a three-foot wall onto an elevated driveway, where he pulled a gun and fired at the officer. Fearing injury to innocent people, Winstead did not return fire, but continued to pursue the subject. He and fellow officers found the man hiding in bushes and took him into custody. Valor Award Officer Ben Campbell Copley Police Department Responding to reports of an active shooter in a Copley neighborhood the morning of Aug. 7, 2011, Officer Ben Campbell tracked down and engaged the subject without waiting for backup. Afterward, he learned the man had just shot seven people to death and severely wounded another. The man went on the shooting spree as he and his girlfriend prepared for an out-of-state trip, shooting her, her family members, and neighbors. As the officer approached, the subject emerged from behind a tree and raised his gun. Campbell fired three shots, killing the subject.
Learn more: A video about Dwight Radcliffs 48 years as sheriff appears at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/videos.
Dwight Radcliff followed in the footsteps of his father, Charles (shown with him above left), who was Pickaway Countys sheriff for nearly 30 years. At right, Radcliff poses with his son Robert, who succeeded him, and his wife, Betty, who was Pickaway County Jails matron and office manager for many years.
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LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES
Victims Rights Senate Bill 160 Sponsors: Sens. Kevin Bacon, Jim Hughes Status: Both chambers passed bill; governor signed Dec. 20; takes effect March 22. Victims of first-, second-, and third-degree crimes of violence now must be notified when their perpetrators face proceedings related to release or transfer unless they opt out. The law mandates five years of post-release control for offenders, requires notification of the local prosecutor when offenders are released, and enables victims to change their names without public notice if they face a personal safety risk. Arson Registry Senate Bill 70 Sponsor: Sen. Tim Schaffer Status: Both chambers passed bill; governor signed Dec. 20; takes effect July 1. This law establishes a statewide arson registry, maintained by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and made available to law enforcement and fire service arson investigators.
Clever chemists stayed a step ahead of us. By just tweaking the recipe adding several molecules here or changing several molecules there chemists create a brand new drug, Attorney General DeWine testified, referring to analog drugs that are only slightly different chemically than banned substances. The synthetic drug problem is constantly evolving, and we cant afford to risk falling behind. The new law gives law enforcement a much wider and flexible net to crack down on manufacturers, distributors, and users of harmful substances masquerading as herbal incense, glass cleaner, plant food, bath salts, or novelty items.
To address methamphetamine production, the law requires retailers to note ephedrine and pseudoephedrine sales in a national database, limit purchases per customer to nine grams in 30 days and 3.6 grams in one day, and have purchasers sign a log.
Turnaround times
Continued from Page 1
To reduce turnaround times, BCI hired 21 additional scientists for its Forensic Biology and DNA units over the past two years. In addition, the DNA and CODIS units now have twice as many robots 12 in all to aid in developing DNA profiles and adding them to the Combined DNA Index System database. Newark authorities say BCIs quick work was crucial in identifying a suspect in the October rape of a 15-year-old girl. When a rape kit produced no probative evidence, BCI tested evidence from the scene. Within two days, police were advised of a CODIS hit. After news of the the suspects arrest, another woman reported being attacked by the same man in July. He is scheduled to stand trial in April on six charges. It was absolutely critical, Newark Detective Steve Vanoy said of BCIs role in the case. It made the interview of the suspect that much easier because we knew it was him. Licking County Prosecutor Kenneth Oswalt said the quick arrest likely prevented other rapes. This is a very good example of how turnaround times can make a huge difference in getting violent offenders off the street, he said. I have to believe that if this suspect had not been arrested for several months while we were waiting for DNA results, he would have reoffended.
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