About the Citizens Police Academy
Citizens Academy Course Schedule
2010 Guest Speakers
Speech is not lawful when it urges incitement to crime such as sedition or
treason, or when there is imminent evil and imminent action.
Hate crimes are defined as any crimes (such as assault or vandalizing of
property) motivated by bias to the victim as a member of a group (as one
based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, or
sexual orientation). NPD monitors incidents that involve bias; an element of
bias along these lines will enhance the penalty for the crime.
The first guest speaker for 2010 was Detective Mike Loftin, a Computer Forensic Examiner with the NPD Cyber Crimes Division. Detective Loftin assists in combating cyber crimes such as ID theft, and in obtaining evidence from a computer that may lead to a conviction. A number of scams were described and recommendations made to keep personal computers secure.
It was a very interesting presentation that was followed by a lengthy Question and Answer session.
The February Guest speaker was Sgt. A.D. McConnaghy of the Criminal Intelligence Unit, which is responsible for collecting, organizing, and analyzing credible information. This department deals with a variety of situations, including terrorism, organized crime, threats to officials and judges, dignitary protection, and as directed by the Chief of Police. It was a very informative talk and PowerPoint presentation, followed by a Question and Answer Period.
Investigator Judy Hash was the speaker for Part 2 of the Criminal
Intelligence Program on March 16th- Hate Crimes. To understand Hate Crimes,
one must first examine Article I of our Constitution which entitles all
citizens to freedom of speech and expression. Groups of opposing views are
free to voice their respective opinions, demonstrate and hand out
instructional material as long as they stay within the law. Large groups of
30 or more are encouraged to obtain a permit from the city. The Criminal
Intelligence Unit of the Norfolk Police Department will meet with the groups
in advance to negotiate their activities and establish rules. A very high
percentage of the protest groups comply with the guidelines. Demonstrations
must be in the public forum, such as sidewalks or parks, and cannot impede
traffic.
Human Trafficking, Part 3 of the Criminal Intelligence Unit series, was the topic for April 20, 2010. NPD Investigator Judy Hash introduced the guest speaker, FBI Special Agent Barbara Uttaro. The Norfolk Police Department and FBI often work in partnership on human trafficking issues.
Special Agent Uttaro, who has been with the FBI for 12 years, is assigned to the Civil Rights Criminal Division which oversees Human Trafficking problems. These conditions occur primarily through the force, fraud or coercion of some people in order for others to profit. It is estimated that there are 600,000 to 800,000 victims pressed into sexual servitude, domestic help or manual labor. The victims are typically undocumented aliens unfamiliar with our culture or language who have a distrust of police. This is both a local and international problem that may be more difficult to detect than other crimes. Citizens can contribute and provide assistance to law enforcement by promptly reporting unusual activities in their neighborhoods and providing pertinent information.