California « Feral Jundi

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Technology: California Ranchers Wield British Radar To Detect Illegal Border Crossers

Filed under: California,Technology,United Kingdom — Tags: Blighter 202, California, immigration, Plexteck, radar, Ranchers, United Kingdom — Matt @ 12:34 AM

Thanks to Cannoneer #4 for sending me this, and this is an excellent addition to The Defense of Farms and Ranches post. The other thing I like about articles like this, is it highlights exactly what works and what doesn’t work out there. What these ranchers are dealing with, is a daily issue that has been going on for years. An individual protecting his land will come across a multitude of ideas, and try everything under the sun to get a job done. They will also be pushing that equipment’s lifespan to the limits, and all of this information about the products longevity and usefulness is vital to other end users and to the company that made it.

Personally, I have not used this product, so I cannot endorse it. I also have no connection to the company, and this just came across my desk as something that was interesting. If any FJ readers have experience with this equipment, I am sure the rest of the readership would be interested to hear about that-good or bad. –Matt

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Blighter B202

Calif. Ranchers Wield British Radar to Detect Illegal Border Crossers

December 2009

By Grace V. Jean

LONDON — Frustrated by trespassers attempting to cross into the United States illegally, ranch owners in southern California have purchased a British radar in an effort to protect their property and to help Border Patrol agents nab more intruders.

The Blighter B202 Radar, developed by Plextek Ltd., an electronics and communications design consultancy based near Cambridge, U.K., detects people walking or crawling through the rocky, hilly landscape from four kilometers away, says Nicholas Booth, manager of Blighter sales and marketing.

The man-portable, scanning radar is mounted on a tripod and runs on rechargeable lithium ion batteries. It has a 20-degree wide vertical elevation beam that permits the detection of targets in the distance as well as up close.

“You can see people walking up and down the mountain and on the plains at the same time,” says Booth.

Traditional radars would require tilting to cover the same area.

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Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Training: Maritime Academy To Offer Field Training On The Use Of Small Arms

Filed under: California,Maritime Security,Training — Tags: California, Maritime Security, small arms, Training, weapon stuff — Matt @ 11:58 AM

This is cool, and thanks to David for sending me this link. Now what would really be cool, is to use your GI Bill for this training. Also, if you follow the link to the academy, there are other interesting courses and licenses that you can get that relate to maritime security and boat work.

The other significance in this, is that CMADEL, along with other maritime academies, are now starting to focus on this stuff. I think it is a sign of the times, and this focus on teaching crews to use something a little more substantial than water cannons, starts with teaching weapons handling during the education process. Although like the Captain said in the earlier article I posted, if vetting is an issue on these boats, then you will still need professionals that you can trust to do this work. But some armed crew members on a boat, is better than no armed crew members on a boat, and this is a good step in the right direction. If any of the readers have other academy links to training similar to this, feel free to post away in the comments section. Especially if you have any educational stuff that can be paid for by the GI Bill. –Matt

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Maritime Academy to offer field training on use of small arms

Times-Herald staff report

03/08/2010

California Maritime Academy’s Department of Extended Learning is a three-day practical field training course on appropriate use of small arms on government-chartered and commercial vessels worldwide.

The certified small arms training course will be held March 22-24 and April 13-15 on the Vallejo campus, with range instruction in Richmond.

The new course is focused on the specialized challenges of deploying small arms in the maritime environment, Dean of Extended Learning James Burns said.

Class participants must either have a Transport Workers Identification Card (TWIC), a current U.S. Coast Guard MMD/License or be a certified peace officer, and must have no felony convictions.

The $1,500 cost includes use of weapons, targets and training aids. Another $300 is needed to cover ammunition. Upon completion, participants receive a certification form DD 2760 and 2.4 continuing education credits from the University.

For more information visit www.maritime-education.com or call (707) 654-1157.

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Monday, November 16, 2009

Law Enforcement: Iraq’s Lessons, On The Home Front

Filed under: California,Law Enforcement — Tags: California, COIN, Law Enforcement, Salinas, surge — Matt @ 12:28 PM

I found this article to be fascinating. Partly because this is a social experiment of the highest order, and partly because the proof in the pudding for COIN, is to be able to apply those principles to ‘other than war’ insurgencies. So this is a test, and if they can actually get it to work in Salinas, then maybe other law enforcement agencies will catch on. This will be a very interesting experiment to watch, and perhaps if the mayor kept a running blog on this effort, then we could see what worked and what didn’t. Much could be learned from this effort. –Matt

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Iraq’s lessons, on the home front

Volunteer veterans help California city use counterinsurgency strategy to stem gang violence

By Karl VickWashington Post Staff WriterSunday, November 15, 2009

SALINAS, CALIF. — Famed to readers as the birthplace of John Steinbeck and in supermarket produce circles as the “Salad Bowl of the World,” the city of Salinas carries darker renown in the netherworld of California’s prisons. Instant respect is accorded any inmate tattooed with the words “Salad Bowl” or “Salis” — gang shorthand for a city now defined most of all by ferocious eruptions of violence.

In the space of 11 days this year, seven people were murdered in Salinas. Each killing, like the record 25 homicides the previous year, spilled from the gang warfare that this summer pushed the homicide rate in the city of 140,000 to three times that of Los Angeles. Residents retreated indoors at night, and Mayor Dennis Donohue affirmed his decision to seek help from an unlikely source: the U.S. military.

Since February, combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan have been advising Salinas police on counterinsurgency strategy, bringing lessons from the battlefield to the meanest streets in an American city.

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Saturday, October 24, 2009

Jobs: Union Pacific Special Agent, California

Filed under: California,Executive Protection,Jobs — Tags: California, Executive Protection, Jobs, union pacific — Matt @ 9:46 AM

Special Agent

Work Location: Mira Loma, CA

Closing Date: November 30, 2009

Basic Purpose of Job:

Responsible for employee and public safety; protection of facilities, real estate and assets; and the protection of our customer’s lading through police activities, security services, and crime prevention and safety initiatives.

There is no relocation assistance available for this assignment. If selected for this position, you must be willing to relocate without Company reimbursement.

Accountabilities:

• Promote public safety through grade crossing traffic enforcement operations (CARE) and the investigation of unsafe motorist incidents.

• Implement the Union Pacific’s Homeland Security “security” plan counter measures as threat levels change.

• Participate in “red team” audits on critical targets to test vulnerabilities and validate effectiveness of security measures.

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Monday, September 7, 2009

Bounties: California Governor Announces $100,000 Reward in Arson-caused Wildfire

Filed under: Bounties,California — Tags: arson, Bounties, California, investigators, reward, security contractors — Matt @ 7:01 AM

I hope someone finds this arsonist, because this guy has the blood of two fire fighters on his hands. I have quite a few California readers, so hopefully some of you investigator types can get up on this deal. Good luck. –Matt

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California governor announces $100,000 reward in arson-caused wildfire

September 4, 2009

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever set a deadly wildfire north of Los Angeles.Schwarzenegger announced the reward Friday, a day after officials said forensic evidence at the fire’s point of origin revealed that the wildfire — among the largest in Southern California’s history — was intentionally set. Two firefighters died Sunday when their truck careened off a steep mountain road.Under state law, the governor may offer rewards up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person killing a firefighter in the line of duty.The fire has burned through 241 square miles of the Angeles National Forest. More than 70 homes have been destroyed.

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Governor’s Proclamation, Sept. 4, 2009:

WHEREAS, on August 26, 2009, I proclaimed a State of Emergency in Los Angeles County due to a fire that started on August 26,2009, now known as the Station Fire; and

WHEREAS, the Station Fire has burned approximately 150,000 acres, continues to burn and is not yet contained; and

WHEREAS, two firefighters were killed while fighting the Station Fire in Los Angeles County; and WHEREAS, state and local officials have determined the cause of the fire is arson; and WHEREAS, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca requested that a state reward be offered, in supplement to an existing reward, to encourage individuals with information about this crime to contact law enforcement; and WHEREAS, public assistance is vital to law enforcement, and rewards often encourage public cooperation essential to apprehend those who have committed serious offenses; and WHEREAS, the Governor is authorized by Penal Code section 1547(b) to offer rewards up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person who kills a firefighter in the line of duty; and WHEREAS, the reward will be paid in accordance with Penal Code section 1547.

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