Seventh Circuit: Facebook’s Reporting of Child Pornography Does Not Make It a Government Actor
In 2018, Alexander Bebris sent messages to a woman via Facebook Messenger, a private messaging system on Facebook. Facebook Messenger utilizes PhotoDNA, a Microsoft image-recognition program that provides the capability to scan images uploaded onto the company’s platform and compares the “hash,” or essence of a photo, with a database of known images of child pornography. After a “hit,” Facebook reviews the flagged images and sends them to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) through the CyberTipline.
Ohio Man Charged with Plot to Conduct Mass Shooting of Women
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated July 21, 2021, Tres Genco, 21, of Hillsboro, Ohio was charged with attempting to conduct a mass shooting of women and with illegally possessing a machine gun.
Keeping Kids Safe Online
Watch this #FedLifeHacks video from FEEA with tips on how to keep kids of all ages safe online.
Survivor Story of Garrett Garton
In this round of the FEDForum, Concerns of Police Survivors would like to share the Survivor Story of Garrett Garton, Surviving Child of Hawthorne Police Officer Andrew Garton, EOW 5/26/2011. Garrett was just 12 years old at the time of his father’s death. Here is his story in his own words.
Prolonged Warrantless Monitoring From Pole Cameras Not A Fourth Amendment Violation, Seventh Circuit Decides
Using three pole cameras mounted on public property to continuously monitor the exterior of a defendant’s home for 18 months without a warrant is not an unreasonable search in violation of the Fourth Amendment, according to the Seventh Circuit.
Department of the Interior Announces Task Force to Review Policing Standards
Secretary of the Department of the Interior (DOI) Deb Haaland signed a memo last week creating a task force to review law enforcement policies and procedures across the department. The memo cites the June 2021 Office of Inspector General (OIG) report “Review of U.S. Park Police Actions at Lafayette Park" as an impetus for the task force creation.
ICE Issues New Policy on Detention of Pregnant, Postpartum, and Nursing Individuals
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a new policy directive regarding the identification, detention, monitoring, and use of restraints against persons who are pregnant, postpartum, or nursing. Generally, the directive notes that ICE should not detain, arrest, or take into custody individuals who are pregnant, postpartum, or nursing for administrative immigration violations “unless release is prohibited by law or exceptional circumstances exist.”
Tree DNA Helps Secure Conviction of Timber Thief
In a first for a federal criminal trial, prosecutors used tree DNA evidence to help convict the lead defendant for stealing timber from U.S. Forest Service lands in Washington state.
Webinar: Inside Santos v. NASA
In this live webinar, an attorney from Shaw Bransford & Roth will explain the Federal Circuit's holding in Santos v. NASA.
TSA's Vision: A Glimpse at the Future of Travel
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) provides an inside look at what they see as the future of travel.
Supreme Court Restricts Police Powers to Enter a Home Without a Warrant
In recent years, federal law enforcement officers have been the subject of increasing scrutiny from the media, public, and politicians.
Law Enforcement and Security Workshops at The WIFLE Conference
On Wednesday, August 18, 2021, join us for conversations on civil rights, unrest, equity and reform. Sessions include Averting Targeted School Violence - A U.S. Secret Service Analysis and the Blue Campaign-Human Trafficking.
DEA Administrator Sworn in After Senate Confirmation
According to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) press release from June 29, 2021, Anne Milgram was sworn in on June 28 as the Administrator of the DEA, where she will oversee an agency of more than 10,000 employees, including nearly 5,000 Special Agents and 800 Intelligence Analysts, in 239 domestic offices in 23 divisions throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, and in 91 foreign offices in 69 countries.
Six Months Since Attack on Capitol, FBI Requests Continued Help from Public
July 6, 2021 marked six months since the U.S. Capitol riot where the Capitol was attacked by individuals who attempted to undermine the peaceful transition of power between presidents.
Former Temporary Workers Could Catch Up on Pension Contributions Under Proposed Bill
Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Tom Cole (R-OK) recently introduced a bipartisan piece of legislation titled the Federal Retirement Fairness Act. This legislation would allow employees enrolled in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) who initially entered government as temporary workers to make catch-up retirement contributions to cover for the years when they were temps.
Eighth Circuit: Automobile Exception Applies to Temporarily Immobile Vehicles
On April 16, 2019, Des Moines police officers responded to various calls of gunshots fired at an apartment complex. The callers reported 3 potential suspects and 2 cars associated with those suspects. One caller described a suspect as a black male with dreadlocks in a white shirt and dark blue pants, a description fitting Shaun Short that evening. Callers also reported that one of the cars involved was a black Dodge Charger, the same make and model car owned by Short.
Kentucky Man Sentenced for Racially Motivated Hate Crime
According to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release dated June 24, 2021, Gregory A. Bush of Louisville, KY was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering two Black shoppers at a Kroger grocery store and the attempted murder of a third. Each of these crimes was found to be racially motivated. He pleaded guilty-but-mentally-ill to state charges for murder, attempted murder and wanton endangerment.
Humans of CIA
Listen to the story of a CIA officer who describes where his interest in CIA began as a second generation American. He talks about his background, the places he has visited on the job, and the skills he has acquired through CIA.
You Say More Than You Think: 4 Simple Body Language Secrets to Read and influence Human Behavior
"YOU CAN'T LIE TO ME!" says Janine Driver, the Human Lie Detector. Janine is one of WIFLE's most popular presenters. Founder and president of the Body Language Institute, Janine trains thousands of law enforcement officers to decipher fact from fiction using body language. Janine is a former law enforcement officer with ATF.
Change Management in an Ever-Changing World
On the latest episode of the FEDtalk podcast, management guru John P. Kotter and Gaurav Gupta of Kotter Inc. discuss new insights from their book Change on how agencies can take advantage of the changes to improve employee skills and introduce a culture that values change and modern thinking.