Carol Sciannameo Investigations,
Inc. is a full service Investigations Agency,
licensed and incorporated in the State of Florida. Carol
Sciannameo specializes in security consulting and solutions
for organizations of all sizes.
Although
the following ideologies are drawn from a background in
policing, Carol Sciannameo uses the skills and abilities
gained from her organizational behavior Degree
background and her experience in
pursuit of her second master’s degree in criminal
justice at St. Leo’s Degree
to use these strategies in a way that will serve
the safety and security needs of the private sector. The
following is a historical background of the various police
management ideologies that Tampa
Bay Investigations utilizes when developing a custom fit for your
organization's security needs. Carol Sciannameo shares
these ideologies through this medium in an attempt to
familiarize the client with jargon and commonly accepted
crime prevention theories.
Our
Ideologies
Criminal
Justice strategies over the centuries have moved from
classical to neo classical; from consensus to conflict
theories, and from neo-classical to socio-environmental,
drawing upon other resources to assist in confronting the
complicated issues of crime and crime prevention.
This newer approach of “collective” services,
supports the theory that industries and professions do not
an can not exist in a vacuum and through the building of a
network of specialists and resources.
This new “collective” ideology is used at Tampa
Bay Investigations and the client is
thereby ensured of the most effective and efficient
handling a case handled by the agency.
Carol Sciannameo
Investigations is intimately aware of the various
Constitutional issues included in the 4th
(Search and Seizure), 5th (Self Incrimination),
6th (Right to Counsel) and 14th (Due
Process) and even in the private sector, realizes the
implications that these constitutional safeguards have on
the Private Investigations Industry.
Although
these constitutional rights were made to protect the
individual citizen from unreasonable and unwarranted
intrusion into their lives from the government, as time
passes, more legislation and recent court decisions make
it clear that private investigators have a set of
stringent rules and a code of ethics equal to and
sometimes more restrictive than those set forth by the
constitution for law enforcement officers.
The
staff at Carol Sciannameo Investigations is committed to
adherence of the Section 493 of Florida Code and other
laws and cases that relate directly to the performance of
our duties. Carol
Sciannameo Investigations will not compromise a case by
using unethical or illegal means.
Compstat
CompStat is a police management ideology of compiling
statistics that gathers information for all major crimes,
as well as other quality of life issues. Review of all
information is performed to facilitated a targeted response
to fight crime and target police and community efforts
to address those issues
The sole purpose of CompStat is to reduce crime and improve
the quality of life. To achieve this goal, Compstat utilized
the following four basic principles:
Traditional wisdom of
police management held dear the ideology of community
policing and a compilation of military strategies. These
theories and strategies had been implemented separately
and together throughout the history of policing. Progressive
departments, those who embraced the paradigm shift, beginning
with the NYPD, have departed from the traditional wisdom
of police management. Instead they have modified conventional
community policing ideology by recognizing that in order
for them to be effective in reducing crime, many operational
decisions and therefore, accountability needed to placed
on commanders at the precinct level. Precinct commanders
were found to be in a far better position than executives
in appreciating and meeting the particular needs of their
communities and in directing the efforts of their own
personnel. Significantly expanded was the authority, responsibility
and discretion as well as the degree of control commanders
exercise over personnel and other resources. Conversely,
the natural corollary of that expanded authority, responsibility
and discretion is increased accountability.
Periodical Crime Control Strategy Meetings began as a
means to increase the flow of information between the
agency's executives and the commanders of operational
units, with particular emphasis on the flow of crime and
quality of life enforcement information. In the Department
vernacular, these briefings are referred to as COMPSTAT
(Computerized Statistics) meetings. Since many of the
discussions are based upon the statistical analyses contained
within periodical CompStat Reports. These meetings are
an integral facet of a comprehensive interactive management
strategy which enhances accountability while providing
local commanders with considerable discretion and the
resources necessary to properly manage their commands.
The process allows top executives to carefully monitor
issues and activities within precincts and operational
units, to evaluate the skills and effectiveness of middle
managers and to properly allocate the resources necessary
to reduce crime and improve police performance.
Broken
Windows
Broken Windows, the ideology addresses quality of life issues and speaks to
the emphasis of giving attention thereto in effectively
restoring order. "Broken Windows" the ideology
was introduced by James Q. Wilson. Broken
Windows.
Perceptual concepts of
order are paramount in this theory and supposes that if
one window is broken in a housing development, it needs
to be fixed. If it is not fixed the perception is that
a broken window is acceptable, that no one cares, and
that no one is monitoring the situation. By restoring
the perception of order and caring, crime is reduced.
This theory translates
into many dimensions of security. It is a concept that
has beginnings early in the management movement and is
reminiscent of early studies whereby attention given or
withheld from employees affects productivity.
Productivity in crime
prevention equates to lower crime statistics. Attention
to detail is paramount in achieving the perception of
order.
Perception of safety is
half the battle in effectuating a safe environment.
Broken Windows, by virtue
of its nature of order and caring, restores employee morale
and improves motivation. These two ideologies used together,
are a great method of motivation.
CPTED
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design CPTED
has been a viable ideology that has been influenced by
the Broken Windows ideology. This particular ideology
speaks to controlling opportunistic criminal behavior.
In CPTED, there are three options available to control
this behavior:
Organized: High visibility, of police/security
Mechanical: Locks, alarms, fences, camera, lighting,
tracking devices
Natural: Background, history, statistics, assessment
Organizational
Human Resource Benefits
CompStat develops
and prepares another important performance measurement
tool, the Commander Profile Reports. In an organizational
setting this is the same as a performance evaluation rating,
and due to the raised accountability, is a precision
measure
of a manager's performance. This tool is especially effective
in assessing a manager's ability carefully monitor and
assess how well they motivate and manage their personnel
resources and how well they address important management
concerns. The evaluation itself acts as a motivational
tool since the subjects of these profiles are obviously
aware that the same objective criteria is being used to
evaluate their peers, therefore they can monitor and compare
their own success to that of others in meeting the established
performance objectives. Using this tool to measure the
capabilities of those in a position to affect safety and
security is invaluable.
Despite the feelings of
W. Edwards Deming in his TQM theory, whereby the performance
evaluation is a negative tool, Compstat places many of
the tenets of TQM into the process thereby causing it
to be an effective tool for the dual purposes of accountability
and measurement.
The process described here truly represents a revolution
in the way police agencies are managed and has been adapted
for use in many other law enforcement agencies throughout
the nation and on a global scale.
Carol Sciannameo Investigations,
Inc. uses these successes as a model for the private sector.
Although the process has been revolutionary, it is not
static. Progressive departments and organizations will
continue to adjust, refine and enhance the process to
respond swiftly and effectively to the changing demands.
DNA
Carol
Sciannameo Investigations draws upon forensic sciences in
the solutions of complicated identification issues.
DNA is a primary source of identifying material.
Tampa Bay Investigations maintains relationships
with various FBI and NFTSC accredited laboratories
throughout the country and can assist you with
identification issues.
Drug screening testing using a five panel test is
also available.
Electronic
Surveillance
Carol
Sciannameo
Investigations has electronic surveillance equipment
available for usage. There
are legal restraints on the usage, and if conditions are
met for legal usage of this equipment, it will be utilized
by the agency.
Technological
Edge
Tampa
Bay Investigations owns the most current and viable
resources that technology has to offer.
Tampa Bay Investigations uses state of the art
video, photographic and editing software capable of
producing a “court ready” presentation of your case.
Tampa Bay Investigations makes substantial
investments in equipment and technology to ensure the best
presentation of your case.
Service
Commitment
Tampa
Bay Investigations makes a commitment to communications.
We are a “twenty four seven” operation and
realize that each and every case is important.
There is always an on duty investigator available
intake, answer questions, provide quotes or contact during
an “investigation in progress.”
The owner, Carol Sciannameo, having been a
Lieutenant on the NYPD and having managed police officers
for many years, realizes that just as it is important to
continuously train and evaluate officers, it is just as
important to train and evaluate investigators.
In these particular industries, cynicism can easily
creep in and taint the due care
of a case. In
the same way that Carol would tell officers, “this may
be the fifth robbery you are handling today, but it is the
only robbery this person will experience in their
lifetime,” she reminds investigators that even though
our business takes us daily through domestic situations,
our clients are possibly experiencing this painful
experience for the first time and need our support and
empathy in conducting the investigation.
The owner makes an express commitment to service,
communication, confidentiality and empathy in the handling
of your case.
Biometric
Integration
Carol Sciannameo Investigations,
Inc. highly recommends the usage of biometrics
in the solution phase of many security consultation issues.
Biometrics refers to the
automatic identification of a person based on his/her
physiological characteristics. This method of identification
is preferred over traditional methods involving passwords
and PIN numbers for various reasons:
The person to be identified
is required to be physically present at the point-of-identification;
Identification based
on biometric techniques obviates the need to remember
a password or carry a card.
Biometrics eliminates
the problems associated with password management by measuring
human characteristics most commonly fingerprint, iris
pattern, and facial contours. Password management has
proven to be a costly endeavor, due to the human factor
(loss, memory, theft and other issues). The biometric
characteristics are virtually impossible to duplicate
and cannot be lost, forgotten or stolen like traditional
passwords. Biometrics are convenient and easy to use.
Various types of biometric
systems are being used for real-time identification, the
most popular are based on face recognition, iris recognition
and fingerprint matching. However, there are other biometric
systems that utilize retinal scan, speech, facial thermograms,
and hand geometry.
Attributes like cost, size,
reliability, operating environment, speed, and accuracy
help determine the suitability for different applications.
Without examining each of these biometric recognition
methods in detail, a case can be made that fingerprint
recognition has the broadest applicability and is the
best place to start a search for an appropriate biometric
for most applications
The two most widely utilized
biometric systems are iris and fingerprint recognition.
Certain biometric systems are more reliable than others.
The most reliable for all intents and purposes is iris
recognition. The second most reliable is fingerprint matching.
I am recommending fingerprint matching for this particular
organization.
Fingerprints have been
used for forensic purposes for over 100 years. The general
public has an understanding and awareness that fingerprints
are unique and can be used to identify an individual.
They may not realize however, that any single fingerprint
is not uniquely distinguishable from every other fingerprint
that exists on some person in the world. As Dan M. Bowers
explains in Access Control and Personal Identification
Systems:
There are about one
billion possible minutiae
combinations on a fingerprint;
since there are about 5 billion people inhabiting the
Earth, and each has ten fingers, this means that statistically
it is likely that fifty people on Earth share a fingerprint.
While there is a theoretical probability of one in a billion
for an accidental fingerprint match, the likelihood
that two different people have two or more fingerprints
that match is extremely small. Therefore one biometric,
fingerprints, can be applied multiple times to the same
individual to achieve almost any degree of certainty about
the identity of the individual as the application requires.
I have studied the reliability issue in the context of
the perception of intrusiveness. The reason I am recommending
fingerprints over iris identification in many cases is
to tweak the psychological perspective. I believe the
level of perceived intrusiveness minimal for fingerprinting
and less minimal for iris identification. Fingerprinting,
for law enforcement purposes and other identification
needs, is widely accepted. Iris identification is more "high
tech" and thought of more for a Mission Impossible
movie.
As with all biometrics, there is some probability that
a valid person will be erroneously rejected. The likelihood
of this can be controlled, but is a trade-off with overall
security. For ease of use, false rejects should be minimized,
while still maintaining a sufficient security level. Generally,
a false reject of a fingerprint can be corrected on the
second attempt, or by using one of the other registered
fingers.
Properly placing a finger
on a fingerprint reader is a very easy thing to do. Even
with a fixed placement of the fingerprint reader, short
and tall people, standing, sitting or wheelchair-bound
people can use their fingers to confirm their identity.
Fingers on both hands can be registered, so an injury
to one finger or one hand does not cause a problem.
In policing, a parallel
issue has been pondered for years, and I would like to
use a parallel to make my point. For the identification
of people driving while intoxicated, there are two viable
methods of testing. One is the breath measure, and the
other is blood work. Although blood work is more accurate,
the breath testing method is preferred due to its social
acceptance and lower level of intrusion. Of course, in
this case the level of intrusion is a physical measure
whereas with the comparison between fingerprinting and
iris recognition, it is more of a psychological intrusion.
So, there is an uncertain variable, and this is always
the uncertain variable: psychological perception.
Applications:
Biometrics is
a rapidly evolving technology that has been widely used
in forensics such as criminal identification and prison
security. Recent advancements in biometric sensors and
matching algorithms have led to the deployment of biometric
authentication in a large number of civilian applications.
Biometrics can be used to track access to specific areas,
vehicles and other facilities for this particular organization.
Security
Level
Biometric identification systems will not become a significant
part of our daily lives until they work reliably for everyone
all the time. Reliability is what we are striving for.
The more accurate the classifications developed, the more
reliable will be the system in place.
The first step in the process
of automatic fingerprint identification is to acquire
the fingerprint image from the finger. If the system cannot
acquire clear repeatable images of the fingerprint pattern,
the identification task is hopeless. In the real world
this is not a trivial task; fingerprint ID systems must
regularly cope with a wide range of difficult-to-image
fingers. Furthermore, we are constantly damaging the surface
of our fingers, just by doing our daily activities. Workers
in industrial occupations expose the surface of their
fingers to harsh chemicals and physical wear. The ideal
product will be able to identify fingerprints in various
conditions and environments.
