In this issue: Around The Nation: A coast-to-coast roundup of police news. People & Places: Napoleon’s farewell; 100-grand reward; busted by the boss; the old switcheroo; kids’ heroes. Saying “no” to pot: Canada cops’ group rejects growing liberalization movement. Spit happens: The problem of restaurant workers tainting cops’ food. Comings & Goings: Now you see them, now you don’t. On the carpet: Baltimore PC gets grilled over removal of top black cops. Shuffling the deck: LAPD tries new ways to stanch a manpower shortage. In the clear: LAPD Chief Parks is off the hook over actions in Rampart scandal. Something to sniff at: Drug K9’s reliability is called into question. Under a cloud: DEA is dogged by shady informants, shaky data. Test patterns: Oklahoma City cops seek clues through a DNA dragnet. Too good to be true: Mass. town says “no thanks” to college-for-cops program. Cyber-spooks in training: College grants hope to produce new generation of computer security specialists. Forum: Learning online, or up close & personal. Good thing in a small package: Palm-sized minicomputers take hold in policing. --top-- Note to Readers: The opinions expressed on the Forum page are those of the contributing writer or cartoonist, or of the original source newspaper, and do not represent an official position of Law Enforcement News. Readers are invited to voice their opinions on topical issues, in the form of letters or full-length commentaries. Please send all materials to the editor. --top--

Forum Hale: Building a bridge between theory & the real world       Receiving a four-year college degree is an exciting and tremendously rewarding experience for a young man or woman, and it is an especially significant achievement for anyone who intends to pursue a career in law enforcement management. Yet while a college degree can provide students with invaluable insights into the theories and principles of supervision, planning, problem-solving, team-building and variety of other important issues, translating these theories and principles into real-world job experiences is often difficult.       Enter the Capstone program, a unique, creative attempt to bridge the gap between theories and principles taught in classrooms and the real-life experiences that can only be found on the job... --top-- Weinbaum: Cyber-learning transcends time & distance       Bound by a working life of rotating shifts, law enforcement officers who want to further their education are often stymied by the fixed schedules and meeting requirements of traditional universities. Now there are new options. One of the fastest-growing areas of the Internet is e-learning, also called online education or cyber-learning. Increasingly, universities are taking individual courses and even entire degree programs online, where students can learn anytime, from anywhere.       The scheduling advantages of online education are clear. “You don’t have to worry about missing lectures and assignments because you are stuck at work, “ says Lieut. Chris Hagwood of the Garner, N.C., Police Department. “The assignments, the written lectures and the classroom discussions are all available online 24 hours a day.”.. --top--