In this issue: Around The Nation: A coast-to-coast roundup of police news. Reasons to smile: The 2003 UCR offers plenty. No blinking: A new set of eyes for investigators. A nose for contraband: On the job with the Beagle Brigade. Sketchy profile? Promising yet troubling new DNA technique. Promoting trouble: Staff crisis at the FBI. Shots fired: Making it easier to track their origin. Candid camera: Nefarious uses for cell phones. People & Places: Cleared for takeoff; worldly wise; repeat performance; unwelcome spotlight; long-term thinking; ready for a closeup in Big D; Baltimore no-hitter; family affair. Short Takes: Easy-to-digest news capsules. Alien encounters: Immigration enforcement beckons Va. troopers. The LEN Interview: Pittsburgh Police Chief Robert W. McNeilly Jr. Criminal Justice Library: Powerful truths in “Kill Zone” Criminal Justice Library: How Compstat changed the landscape. Forum: The chronology of a gun; a thankless but important research task. Oh, give me a home: Sheriff’s web site lets buyers know if a house was once a meth lab. --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 Langan: The chronology of a gun      The shooting death of Omaha Police Sgt. Jason Pratt highlights a frequently asked question in the Omaha community, as police officers, community leaders and the average citizen all ponder, “How do criminals get their guns?”      A recent investigation conducted by the Omaha Police Department shows how a .357 handgun traveled among six people during four short months, including armed drug dealers, law-abiding citizens, and hard-core gang members. ... --top--