WHEREAS, DNA technology has revolutionized forensic identification through its ability to assist in identifying the guilty and exonerating the innocent, and

WHEREAS, enhancements and refinements in DNA analysis and technologies have occurred over the years, and

WHEREAS, these enhancements include the utilization of Y-STRs and Mitochondrial DNA in addition to nuclear DNA to identify familial relationships to assist in identifying perpetrators of crime, and

WHEREAS, familial analysis results could identify a large number of candidates that would need further investigation, and

WHEREAS, recognizing the increased investigative workload, but also the possible identification of criminals using familial searches; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) encourage the development of policies that would permit the use of familial DNA searches in cases and under policies that respect individual privacy.

Submitted by: Forensic Committee
FOR.003.A11

WHEREAS, the efficiency of the criminal justice system often depends on the timely analysis of forensic evidence, and

WHEREAS, the time required to present in-person testimony regarding forensic analysis can often result in a forensic analyst being absent from the workplace for extended periods of time, and

WHEREAS, current technology easily allows two-way, live video testimony, and

WHEREAS, some jurisdictions have restricted the use of live video testimony, and

WHEREAS, that testimony is allowed in many other jurisdictions; now, therefore, be it therefore

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police endorse the use of live video testimony in court presentations in situations where it is feasible, appropriate, and can be conducted through a secure manner.

Submitted by: Forensics Committee and Police Investigative Operations Committee
for.004.A11

                                                 Support for Research of Wrongful Convictions

Submitted by the Police Investigative Operations Committee, the Police Image and Ethics Committee, and the Forensics Committee

                                                                              PIO.028.a08

WHEREAS: the overwhelming majority of individuals convicted for crimes are guilty of the crime for which they were convicted;

WHEREAS: there is an emerging body of knowledge regarding the existence of persons who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes despite their innocence.

WHEREAS: the wrongful conviction of an innocent person is a grave miscarriage of justice and creates a danger to American communities because the actual perpetrator of the crime remains free.

WHEREAS: cases involving persons who are wrongfully convicted may be the result of factors such as false confessions, inadequate investigations, mistaken eye witness identification, and delayed, absent, mistaken or improper forensic analysis.

WHEREAS: professional law enforcement investigators and their agencies will benefit from recommendations developed through a systematic review of current academic research and law enforcement investigative techniques designed to avoid wrongful convictions and,

WHEREAS: the IACP has called for the establishment of a National Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice that would examine, among other items, emerging issues and concerns in the criminal justice system; and

WHEREAS: a thorough review of the issues related to the wrongful convictions is a key element in ensuring the effectiveness of, and continuing faith in, the criminal justice system. therefore be it;

RESOLVED; that the International Association of Chiefs of Police calls upon the Administration and Congress to support and adequately fund efforts, including the establishment of a National Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, to study and develop recommendations for reducing or eliminating wrongful convictions.

WHEREAS, the criminal justice system relies on forensic evidence to convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent; and

WHEREAS, advancements in DNA technology have resulted in the ability to identify individuals; and

WHEREAS, a great number of offenders arrested by law enforcement have engaged in repeated criminal acts of escalating severity; and

WHEREAS, the taking of DNA samples is efficient, safe and non-invasive; and

WHEREAS, analysis of DNA samples collected at the time of arrest would result in the identification of a greater number of perpetrators of crimes previously undetected; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) duly assembled at its 115th Annual Conference in San Diego, California recommends that state legislators and other bodies adopt laws to allow the collection of DNA samples from all persons at the time of arrest and further, that the DNA profiles from these samples be uploaded and searched against DNA profiles from crime scene evidence contained in the national and local individual characteristic database (such as CODIS in the US) to facilitate solving prior crimes and preventing future crimes.

Submitted by: Forensics Committee

FOR.017.a08

LEG.037.a07

WHEREAS, organized crime involving the obtaining by fraud and theft of retail merchandise is a nationwide problem of an increasing scale and is expected to cost American companies and consumers at least $30 billion in calendar year 2006; and

WHEREAS, the black market redistribution and storage of stolen and fraudulently obtained consumer products such as baby formula, over-the-counter drugs, and other products by persons engaged in such organized crime is a health and safety hazard to American consumers; and

WHEREAS, the unregulated black market sales of such fraudulently obtained and stolen merchandise results in an estimated $1.6 billion loss in tax revenues to state and local governments; and

WHEREAS, the illegal proceeds from the expanding theft and resale of stolen retail goods is reasonably believed to benefit persons and organizations engaged in other forms of organized crime such as drug trafficking, gang activity, and terrorism; and

WHEREAS, state and local law enforcement has historically regulated the trafficking in stolen property through regulations that required pawnshops and other secondhand good resellers to identify the sellers of such goods and to provide specific information concerning the goods to permit the tracing of stolen goods; and

WHEREAS, the exponential growth in sales volume for online marketplaces has resulted in the widespread and increasing use by organized retail crime rings of the internet to conduct anonymous sales of stolen and fraudulently obtained goods; and

WHEREAS, resellers of stolen property are increasingly able to escape the reach of property tracing and seller identification requirements imposed by state and local governments by moving their operations on to the internet and thereby conduct their operations in an increasingly interstate and international stolen goods market; and

WHEREAS, the dramatic growth in organized retail and other forms of property crime cannot be reasonably curtailed without the federal government restricting the growing and unfettered internet market for stolen property by removing the cloak of anonymity for such sales and permitting victims of property crime to more readily identify their stolen property on internet auction sites; and

WHEREAS, the Organized Retail Crime Act of 2007 encourages internet auction site operators to assist in curbing the growth of stolen property fencing on their internet sites by adopting and implementing commonsense, due diligence procedures used by state and local governments to control such property fencing through pawnshops such as removing the anonymity of high volume sellers of property and posting serial numbers and other means to trace the disposition of stolen property; and

WHEREAS, the Organized Retail Crime Act of 2007 makes it easier for law enforcement to identify stolen property and to prosecute interstate and international fencing operations and internet auction sites that profit from the sale of stolen property while offering reasonable protection from prosecution to responsible internet auction sites that may unknowingly permit such sales but have taken good faith efforts to prevent such conduct by implementing the specified reasonable precautions to reduce stolen property sales; therefore be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police urges the U.S. Congress to enact The Organized Retail Crime Act of 2007 to combat organized property crime involving theft and interstate fencing of stolen property.

WHEREAS, prevention, response, mitigation, and recovery from criminal and terrorist acts is a shared responsibility among all police and law enforcement personnel and organizations; and

WHEREAS, cooperative exchange of information between law enforcement agencies and organizations at all levels serves to inhibit or prevent criminal and terrorist activity; and

WHEREAS, police personnel assigned to handle the preliminary and follow-up investigations of criminal or terrorist incidents require accurate information on which to base thoughtful responses and actions; and

WHEREAS, community safety and well being is best served when responding police personnel have as complete information as possible about the prevailing conditions likely to be encountered at the scene of a criminal or terrorist incident; and

WHEREAS, a successful conclusion to an investigation resulting from a criminal or terrorist incident is more likely when police investigators are provided complete available intelligence about the nature of the incident and suspected or known perpetrators; and

WHEREAS, it is understood that police investigations have failed to achieve successful conclusions when the flow of criminal intelligence is needlessly restricted; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police in support of national security and the common good encourages all police practitioners and organizations at all levels to promote the free exchange of criminal intelligence in the common interests of public safety and security.

PIE.032.a07

WHEREAS, the recruitment of a qualified, diverse, and service-oriented workforce of sworn and civilian personnel is an interest and a concern of all law enforcement agencies; and

WHEREAS, the law enforcement profession and its individual agencies face ever-increasing challenges to effective recruitment; and

WHEREAS, an explicit element of the mission of the International Association of Chiefs of Police is to bring about the best possible recruitment and training of qualified persons into the police profession; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police has launched a nationwide recruitment initiative called the Discover Policing in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice; and

WHEREAS, the goal of Discover Policing is to improve capacity and promote recruitment success in law enforcement collectively and in its component agencies individually with particular emphasis on broadening and diversifying the applicant pool; and

WHEREAS, the cornerstone of this initiative is the Web site, www.DiscoverPolicing.org; and

WHEREAS, DiscoverPolicing.org offers comprehensive information on law enforcement careers and a full-featured career center where applicants can post resumes and hiring agencies can advertise vacancies nationwide; and

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police recognizes the value of effective tools and resources to improve officer recruitment; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 117th Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida calls for www.DiscoverPolicing.org to serve as the official career center of the association; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police encourages all members and agencies to actively support the Discover Policing movement by advertising all current and future vacancies on DiscoverPolicing.org and by promoting use of the site among those interested in learning more about the law enforcement profession.

CPC.004.a07

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police has as one of its stated objectives to advance the science and art of police services; and

WHEREAS, every police agency is charged with the duty to assure the public sense of safety and security that, in turn, affects the quality of life of its citizenry; and

WHEREAS, it is incumbent upon every police agency to recognize and effectively and efficiently address the concerns of the community it serves and the very essence of policing demands that practitioners of every rank strive to satisfy their constituents at the operational level; and

WHEREAS, crime prevention provides a viable framework for the delivery of police service that focuses limited resources on issues specific to individual communities; and

WHEREAS, with its emphasis on initiative, ingenuity, and innovative approaches, crime prevention encourages and empowers the individual practitioner to recognize and resolve issues in crime prevention and community safety; and

WHEREAS, crime prevention establishes and organizational framework and an environment for individual development, job enrichment, and personal satisfaction for law enforcement practitioners at every level; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, hereby encourages every police executive to embrace crime prevention and its philosophy for the creation of programs, operational strategies, and methodologies for the delivery of police services to the communities they serve; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that the IACP urge all law enforcement personnel and agencies to support and promote crime prevention as a key element of effective policing; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the IACP will call upon law enforcement executives to lead by example.

CPC.007.a07

WHEREAS, few things are more important to our communities and to our quality of life than a sense of safety and security; and

WHEREAS, an organized and effective crime prevention program is essential to that sense of safety and security; and

WHEREAS, in the interest of sustaining the quality of life in communities worldwide, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) recognizes that the prevention of crime is fundamental to a free and safe society; and

WHEREAS, the IACP is committed to active partnership with all organizations that are involved in crime prevention and enhancing national crime prevention strategies; and

WHEREAS, the IACP has embraced the public awareness campaigns of our crime prevention partners who have for more than 25 years featured McGruff the Crime Dog, as the international symbol for crime prevention; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, hereby reaffirms its commitment to support and promote crime prevention partnerships; and commit to collaborative partnerships with the National Crime Prevention Council, the National Sheriffs Association, the international Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners, the National League of Cities, the National District Attorneys Association and others to develop a national crime prevention strategy.

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has championed the value of Crime Prevention Programs in modern law enforcement; and,

WHEREAS, the IACP has taken a leadership role in the prevention of crime and the establishment of community safety which are fundamental to a free and safe society; and

WHEREAS, the IACP has long recognized that successful Crime Prevention Techniques require the support of all public, private and community agencies; and

WHEREAS, the IACP believes that community safety is everybody's responsibility and crime prevention is everyone's business; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), duly assembled at its 114th Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, hereby strongly endorses the concept that community safety and crime prevention are linked together; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED that the IACP will commit to take the lead in a collaborative effort among all crime prevention practitioners to develop a national crime prevention strategy.

CPC.006.a07

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) supports the concept that Community Safety is everybodys responsibility and Crime Prevention is everyones business; and

WHEREAS, the IACP recognizes that the prevention of crime is fundamental to a free and safe society and in sustaining the quality of life in communities worldwide; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP endorses the Community Safety/Crime Prevention merger; and, be it,

FURTHER RESOLVED that the IACP adopts the concept and term community safety as  everybody's responsibility.

   Support for Incorporating an Enhanced Response to Victims as a Priority in Daily Law Enforcement Operations

                                                          Submitted by: Victim Services Committee

                                                                               VSC.016.a08

WHEREAS, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, with support and funding from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, has developed, field tested and validated prior to its national release the "Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Crime Victims: a 21st Century Strategy"; and

WHEREAS, the 1999 "What Do Victims Want?" National Summit identified the seven critical needs of all victims: safety, support, information, access, continuity, voice and justice; and

WHEREAS, the "Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Crime Victims: a 21st Century Strategy" focuses on all victims of all crimes, which was developed around four core areas: leadership, training, performance monitoring and partnering; and

WHEREAS, three police departments served as pilot sites to develop and field test the new strategy and eight law enforcement agencies sites implement and validated the strategy across a broader field of law enforcement; and

WHEREAS, an enhanced response to crime victims involves treating all victims and their families with empathy, compassion and respect in such a way as to maximize their feelings of safety and security; providing victims with access to information and referrals for assistance; informing victims about what to expect as their cases move forward; avoiding victim blaming; and helping victims identify risk factors that could lead to re victimization; and

WHEREAS, an Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Victims: The Strategy Package (available on the IACP website:: www.theiacp.org)which includes the Strategy, an operational friendly Implementation Guide and a Resource Toolkit, has been developed and is available to all law enforcement agencies free of charge; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) duly assembled at its 115th Annual Conference in San Diego, California, hereby calls upon every chief of police to incorporate into their organization's daily operations an improved victim response philosophy outlined in the "Enhancing Law Enforcement Response to Crime Victims: a 21st Century Strategy."