The Washington Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority Police lost one of its own when Officer Marlon Morales died at
3:30 a.m. June 13, from gunshot wounds to the head.. He was buried June 19 at a
military cemetery in Quantico, Virginia. There were over 1,000 police officers
in attendance. In addition to representatives from local agencies, there were
representatives from such organizations as the Bay Area Rapid Transit District
in San Francisco, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, the
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston, Amtrak, and CSX.
Officer Morales was shot at approximately 9:13 p.m. on Sunday, June 10, at the
Cardozo Metrorail station. He had been asked by the station manager to intervene
in a fare dispute just prior to the shooting. A suspect was arrested in
Philadelphia the week of the shooting. He has been returned to Washington and
charged there with the murder of Officer Morales.
Officer Morales leaves his wife, Jennifer, and three children, ages 11, 8, and 1
month. He was born in Guatemala and came to American with his parents in 1984.
He was granted U. S. citizenship in 1993. He joined the Metro Transit Police
Department in May 2000 and was graduated from the MTPD Academy in January of
this year. Officer Morales is only the second MTPD officer to have died in the
line of duty in the history of the Department.
A fund for the Morales family has been established. Anyone wishing to contribute
may send a check payable to the Metro Transit Police Department to the
Department at 600 Fifth Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001.
The term technophilia describes
the behavior of people who use computers to engage in sexual deviancy. A recent
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police investigation led to the
arrest of a suspect who had a hidden camera attached to his laptop computer and
was using it to take clandestine pictures of female passengers aboard MBTA's
commuter rail trains. A warrant was obtained to search his computers for photos
that had been downloaded from his laptop. MBTA detectives contacted Sergeant J.
J McLean of the Medford Police Department, who is considered the foremost
computer crime expert in Massachusetts. A forensic computer was set up to search
for evidence of any crimes. A subsequent search led to the discovery of more
than several hundred photos containing child pornography. The suspect was
arrested by MBTA Detective Joseph Amoroso who observed the suspect while riding
undercover aboard a commuter train. He was charged with lewd and lascivious
behavior and disorderly conduct. The discovery of the child pornography led to a
separate indictment in Middlesex Superior Court.
Any agency that has had a similar case or has specific laws on the use of
cameras or other devices used to surreptitiously view up women's clothing is
encouraged to contact Detective Joseph Amoroso or Lieutenant Joseph Leuchte at
617, 222-1050, or Deputy Chief William Fleming at
wfleming@mbta.com.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police and the Northeastern University Center for Criminal Justice Policy Research joined in a collaborative effort to study the problems caused by crime and disorder associated with MBTA's youth ridership. This study was conducted under a Problem Solving Partnership grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). It examined the unique connection between youth issues in Boston, the perception of adult riders, local media, and the role of the MBTA Police. For further information, contact Deputy Chief William Fleming at wfleming@mbta.com.
GCRTA DISPATCHERS ATTEND CERTIFICATION TRAINING
Six dispatchers from the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Police participated in the Certified Central Station Operators program. They completed the required 40-hour course and passed the mandatory national test to obtain their individual certifications. The program was developed in 1995 by the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials and the Security Systems Association and is the only nationally recognized course for certifying operators who monitor life safety systems.
Congratulations to GCRTA Police Officer Steven Dusek, who was named Police Officer of the Year, and to Kellie Archie, Dispatcher of the Year. For further information, contact GCRTA at 216, 566-5000.
GCRTA TRANSIT POLICE COLOR GUARD SHINES
Honoring their fallen comrades in blue is one of the duties the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Police Color Guard accomplishes with great distinction as well as marching in parades. The unit was created in 1988 by a small group of officers/military veterans. An official Transit Police flag was designed and made and equipment was borrowed or purchased. The number of flags to be carried by the unit varies and flags on hand include the American flag and those from the State of Ohio, MIA/POW, Police Memorial, and the Transit Police. At present, the unit has six members, most of whom have attended a color guard course at a local community college. For further information, contact Officer Watters at 216, 566-5000.
AUM SHINRI KYO MEMBERSHIP INCREASING
A recent Associated Press article indicates that the Aum Shinri Kyo Cult membership has increased by 10 percent since the 1995 sarin gas bombing of the Tokyo subway which killed 12 and made thousands ill. Present membership is placed at 1,650. The group gets funding from computer related business which it owns and is now earning more money from these business and is using them to fund its terrorist activities. The group is reportedly expanding its activities overseas, but the report does not indicate to which countries. Several of their leaders have been given death sentences and their leader, Guru Shoko Asahara, is still on trial for planning the Tokyo attack in addition to 16 other charges.
7/9-13/01 5th International
Symposium on Satellite Navigation Technology and Applications, Canberra,
Australia, Australian Global Positioning Systems Society and Australian
Institute of Navigation (+61 7 3369 7866; Fax: 3367 2472;
krys@orgaus.com.au;
www.gps-society.org/satnav.html)
7/22-27/01 Technology Institute for Law Enforcement, Washington, DC, National
Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (800, 248-2742;
www.nlectc.org)
7/24-27/01 Street Smart from 9 to 5, Philadelphia, PA, Crisis Prevention
Institute (847, 679-8900)
8/20-24/01 UN/US Workshop on Use of Global Navigation Satellite Systems, Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia, Malaysian Ministry of Land and Cooperative Development
Department of Survey and Mapping (202, 537-0538;
mireilleg@starpower.net)
8/25-28/01 Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers 4th International
Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Oakland, CA (www.org/itsc/2001)
9/2-8/01 International Association of Geodesy 2001 Scientific Assembly,
Budapest, Hungary (Fax: +36 1386 9378;
richter@sztaki.hu;
www.sztaki.hu/conferences/iag2001)
11 Federal Technology Exposition-Justice Department (800, 878-2940;
www.fbinc.com)
9/11-14/01 Street Smart from 9 to 5, Boston, MA, Crisis Prevention Institute
(847, 679-8900)
9/11-14/01 14th International Technical Meeting of the Institute of Navigation,
Salt Lake City, UT (703, 683-7101; Fax: 683-7105;
meetings@ion.org;
www.ion.org)
9/17-19/01 Technologies for Public Safety in Critical Incident Response 2001,
National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (888, 475-1919;
www.nlectc.org)
9/30-10-4/01 American Public Transportation Association Annual Meeting,
Philadelphia, PA (202, 496-4800;
www.meetings@apta.com)
10/23-26/01 Street Smart from 9 to 5, Milwaukee, WI, Crisis Prevention Institute
(847, 679-8900)
10/27-31/01 108th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police
Conference, Toronto, Ontario (800, THE IACP)
11/13-16/01 Street Smart from 9 to 5, Cleveland, OH, Crisis Prevention Institute
(847, 679-8900)
12/11-14/01 Street Smart from 9 to 5, San Francisco, CA, Crisis Prevention
Institute (847, 679-8900)
9/5-6/02 109th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference,
Minneapolis, MN (800, THE IACP)
9/23-25/02 American Public Transportation Association International Public
Transit Expo 2002, Las Vegas, NV (202, 496-4800;
www.meetings@apta.com)
10/12-16/03 American Public Transportation Association Annual Meeting, Salt Lake
City, UT (202, 496-4800)
10/5-6/04 111th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference,
Los Angeles, CA )800, THE IACP)
10/5-6/05 112th Annual International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference,
Los Angeles, CA (800, THE IACP)
7/10/01 Transit Explosives
Incident Management Seminar, Phoenix, AZ, Federal Transit Administration and
Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
7/10-13/01 Effectively Managing Transit Emergencies, Austin, TX, Federal Transit
Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:
954-0367)
7/11/01 Transit Explosives Incident Management Seminar, Phoenix, AZ, Federal
Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:
954-0367)
7/16-20/01 Land Transportation Anti-Terrorism Training, Salt Lake City, UT,
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (912, 261-3656;
www.fletc.gov)
7/20/01 Hate and Bias Crime Training for Law Enforcement and Victim Assistance
Professionals, Washington, DC, Metropolitan Area, Office for Victims of Crime
Training and Technical Assistance Center (800, 627-6872)
8/14/01 Transit Explosives Incident Management Seminar, Salt Lake City, UT,
Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405,
954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
8/15/01 Transit Explosives Incident Management Seminar, Salt Lake City, UT,
Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405,
954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
8/27-31/01 Fundamentals of Bus Collision Investigation, Austin, TX (closed to
outside participants), Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety
Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
9/10-21/01 Collision Investigation for Transit Police and Law Enforcement,
Oklahoma City, OK, Federal Transit Administration and Transportation Safety
Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax: 954-0367)
9/11-12/01 Fatigue Awareness Seminar, Oakland, CA, Federal Transit
Administration and Transportation Safety Institute (405, 954-3682; Fax:
954-0367)
Let Us Hear From You. If you have any
activities that would be of interest regarding transit security, a staff member
whom you want to commend for some outstanding or heroic action, or just about
anything dealing with transit security, please let us hear from you. Fax your
material to the number below--we will find a place for it in the newsletter.
Address Corrections. If you note any
inaccuracies on the address label, please fax or E-mail corrections to the
number below along with your phone and Fax numbers and E-mail address.
Note: Information for this newsletter may be sent to Edith Rodano, Office of Safety and Security, Federal Transit Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D. C. 20590 (202, 366-0191; Fax: 366-7951) or Edith.Rodano@fta.dot.gov by August 15, 2000.