Sunday, November 4, 2012

Today’s Investigative Special Report – November 5, 2012 “Dealing With Today’s Law Enforcement Specialized Investigations” “National Storm Police Force – A Good or Unrealistic Idea?”

Posted on 9:00 PM by Unknown

LONG BEACH, NY - OCTOBER 28: Rich of Long Beach prepares sand bags as Hurrican Sandy approaches on October 28, 2012 in Long Beach, New York. Sandy, which has already claimed over 50 lives in the Caribbean, is predicted to bring heavy winds and flooding to the mid-atlantic region. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

By Lawrence W. Daly, MSc

Forensic Expert – Senior Author

The ever demanding law enforcement needs has raised the question reference is there an alternative in preventing, protecting, and serving the needs of potential storm victims? The demand for services is so great on the local, county, and state law enforcement before, during and after a storm there is little to no time for proactive enforcement of criminal behavior.

The after storm criminal behavior surrounds looting and fraud type crimes. As soon as the sun goes down the local criminals come out and begin victimizing those who have little to nothing left. Law enforcement is spread so thin that there is little time to patrol the neighborhood areas where homes have been decimated and people have limited resources.

In the recent storm named Sandy, the police had time to prepare up and down the eastern shores. However, the preparation and institution of plans developed prior to the storm landing may be of little assistance as mother nature has the power to do what she wants. Man-made barriers, sand bags, and other creations may stand for a certain amount of time, but in the end they may be of no value. Sandy was brutal and her devastation was felt in a number of states.

So what are the law enforcement answers to combat the criminal element which accompanies a storm prior to and especially during the aftermath? The damage caused by Sandy is estimated at 50 billion dollars and they are still counting. How much cost there will be to law enforcement is unknown at this time and the amount of crimes may dictate the growing costs of enforcing criminal behavior during the transitional stages of recovery.

Homeland Security deals with a multitude of crimes, but establishing a “National Storm Police” may seem to be costly and an excuse to turn this division into a National Police Force is if not concerning but scary. The fears may cause the idea not to be considered as the idea may seem unrealistic, unreasonable, and illogical, but since there has never been such a type of specialized law enforcement people may not support it.

The areas where a National Storm Police Force could assist local, county, and state law enforcement would be a responsive law enforcement agency which establishes storm zones. In these storm zones they would be responsible to do nothing but respond to complaints about crimes. Further, they would insert proactive police units which specifically work in the most devastated areas where looters roam free to do whatever they want and where thefts, assaults, and robberies occur throughout the night time.

In examining and evaluating where a National Storm Police Force would be able of assistance to local law enforcement agencies and the community are as follows:

LONG BEACH, NY - OCTOBER 28: A man surfs as Hurrican Sandy approaches on October 28, 2012 in Long Beach, New York. Sandy, which has already claimed over 50 lives in the Caribbean, is predicted to bring heavy winds and flooding to the mid-atlantic region. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

1. Road type crimes which deal with situations such as major crimes i.e. assaults, homicides, robberies, vehicle assault, and etc. The other type of road issues such as down wires, trees, floods, and etc. can be handled by the established law enforcement agencies and companies who specifically deal with these issues.

2. Marshall law will be handled by the established law enforcement agencies or the National Guard. Any major crimes which occur within those jurisdictions would be handled by the National Storm Police.

3. Evacuation issues and responsibilities prior to and during can be handled by the established law enforcement and fire department agencies. Any major crimes which occur within those jurisdictions would be handled by the National Storm Police.

4. Reports of fraud by individuals who promise devastated residents that they can rebuild their homes or assist in remodeling the home. This type of fraud was seen in the aftermath of Katrina. It is important in the current storm Sandy and any future storms that this type of fraud is proactively pursued, complaints taken, perpetrators apprehended and prosecuted.

5. The storm zones the National Storm Police Force would work in would create a perimeter around the most devastated areas, where individuals congregate for food and shelter. Individuals who prey upon the young, old, weak, and other individuals who can’t defend themselves are generally targeted and robbed of their possessions. A National Storm Police Force would implement uniformed and undercover officers who would specifically target these types of perpetrators.

6. The need for resources within the criminal justice system would need to be created as the number of arrests made would increase the jail population and court system. Crime should not be overlooked because the arresting of criminals causes resources to be maximized or exhausted. If criminals are committing crimes against vulnerable storm victims they need to be prosecuted to the fullest.

7. There will be other reasons why a National Storm Police Force can benefit communities which become victims due to storms of all kinds. The purpose of this police force would be to assist local, county, and state law enforcement agencies in dealing with serious crimes where they would be handled either at a later date or never handled due to victims, witnesses, and perpetrators leaving the area.

It seems ludicrous to consider that creating another law enforcement agency be created for specialized investigations would be of use to victims of storms. However, let us consider the other options:

1. Local, county, and state law enforcement can prepare for specific storms, but the amount of damage, devastation, and crime is unpredictable. Most law enforcement agencies can’t afford to address the demands of a devastated community that a storm causes.

2. Local, county, and state law enforcement can put officers into storm zones where uniform and plain clothes officers would be a presence in the zones. The mere presence may stop a criminal from committing a crime. Most law enforcement agencies can’t afford to be proactive. Local law enforcement officers are dealing with deaths, locating individuals who need medical assistance and so forth. Every minute they have available is expended on assisting victims who have lost family and friends.

The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) was a U.S. federal agency within the U.S. Department of Justice. It administered funding to state and local law enforcement agencies, and funded educational programs, research, state planning agencies, and local initiatives. The LEAA was seen as the government

considering developing and creating a national police force. The

Mississippi National Guard (Photo credit: The National Guard)

LEAA was abolished in 1982.

Recently President Obama began considering possibly moving towards a national police force. His ideology is to turn local police agencies into a national security force to match the strength and replication of the armed services. In 2011, President Obama advocated enlarging the U.S. Marshal’s Service into a “stability police.”

The number of consideration about changing or expanding the current local, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies is a possibility of the future. Establishing a National Storm Police Force seems reasonable and logical when you examine and review the advantages versus the disadvantages. The only disadvantage is the concern by law enforcement agencies and citizens that a National Storm Police Force is one step away from a national police force. This is always a possibility depending on the President of the United States and his ideology.

When you consider what a citizen said on a national television show today when he was interviewed about the conditions of the aftermath of Sandy, he replied that there are only two concerns that the storm victims have, the access to heat and the looters who try to take what you have, come into your home and rob you, and try to take anything else they can.

Hurrican Sandy (Photo credit: jaydensonbx)

There is no way to stop most crimes under the best of circumstances, but when there is death, devastation, hunger, and the lack of shelter the criminals seem to find their way through the neighborhoods where they hurt and steal from vulnerable people. The establishment of a National Storm Police Force if managed correctly, with the proper leadership could make a difference to communities which are victims of storms. May the idea of a National Storm Police Force be of value or unrealistic will eventually be left to those in leadership.

Lawrence W. Daly

www.onedaly.com

206-650-0229

onedaly@onedaly.com

Kent, WA

Posted in crime, criminal justice, Criminology Amp Justice, Crimiology Amp Justice, Homeland Security, Law enforcement agency, Lawrence W. Daly, Master of Science, National Guard, police | No comments

Behind the Yellow Tape Latest Show on Steubenville Gang Rape Case

Posted on 7:50 PM by Unknown

Steubenville Gang Rapes- No More Games

by Joey Ortega

http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/steubenville-big-red-(steubenville,oh)/football/home.htm

In August of 2012, a young girl at a party with friends eventually finds herself unconscious, unresponsive and in need of help. Instead she is carried into a car by other students, "fine upstanding young men", many of whom were considered stars of Steubenville High School's Athletic Program famously known as Big Red. Listen to the latest on this tragedy which aired on Nov 2, 2012

Listen to internet radio with Joey Ortega on Blog Talk Radio

Posted in Crimiology Amp Justice, Deviance (sociology), Franciscan University of Steubenville, Joey Ortega, Social work, Steubenville High School, Steubenville Ohio, Television, Types of rape | No comments

Taking a Bite Out of Crime With Radio Frequency Identification (Rfid)

Posted on 1:32 AM by Unknown

Introduction: The CSI Effect

The debate rages on about old versus new media, with many media commentators claiming that network television is itself dead. These critics are certainly right in one regard, as curiosity is indeed rising among the viewing public in the dead. This is evidenced by the fact that the most popular scripted series shows in American television this decade belong to what is commonly referred to as the CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) franchise. What began as one show in 2000 (CSI) has now expanded into three separate weekly series, all on the CBS Television Network: the original CSI, set in Las Vegas, CSI: Miami, and CSI: New York.

CSI and the field of criminal science has become a cultural and legal phenomenon in the United States. The CSI franchise itself has morphed into video games, comic books, serialized novels, and even kids toys, including a juvenile DNA Lab and forensics kit. There has also been increased interest in forensic science careers and education, prompting new training programs at both the college and even high school levels focused on criminal investigations. Today, there is even a recognized phenomenon in legal and law enforcement circles commonly referred to as the CSI Effect.

With the popularity of not just the CSI shows, but other crime-related television series, including Crossing Jordan, Silent Witness, and the NCIS and Law & Order franchise (which both now include three series each), there is growing awareness and sophistication amongst the American public about criminal investigations and forensic science.

As a consequence, in real courtrooms, juries are now expecting to see real, forensic evidence not just testimony and circumstantial evidence - to prove guilt in serious criminal cases. This means the bar has been effectively raised to prove a defendants guilt by television shows that show crimes where there are typically a relative abundance of blood, hair, and various body fluids, as well as bullet fragments and shell casings, left at every crime scene. Further, as we have seen a number of high profile cases reversed after having DNA evidence to prove a convicted persons innocence, there is a growing sense that forensic evidence is truly the key factor underpinning todays criminal justice system. However, the CSI effect is not without its critics in both academic and legal circles. This is due to what they perceive as the disconnect between the idealized world of television crime scene investigations and what occurs in the real world. And what happens in the real world is often far, far less organized than what is expected and needed in todays world of CSI-enhanced world of criminal justice.

Evidence Handling 101

There is no setting in the private or public sectors where a verifiable chain of custody is more essential or more lacking than the handling of evidence in criminal cases. In the United States, the legal system is dependent on the proper handling of all forms of physical evidence from bodily fluids to cigarette butts to guns, knives and weapons of all sorts. Such evidence must be managed from its retrieval from the actual crime scene through storage (with handling by police investigators and both criminal prosecutors and defense attorneys) until the items of evidence are presented in court if and when cases actually go to trial often times several years after the crime has occurred. Thus, all law enforcement agencies from local police and county sheriffs to and state and federal agencies - must be concerned with the chain of custody as they collect, register, store, ship and track the evidence in their possession for criminal cases. Ensuring that this very unusual sup ply chain from origin in the field to use in the courtroom is secure and verifiable has been categorized as one of the fundamental responsibilities of law enforcement agencies one that underpins the effectiveness and accuracy of the criminal justice system.

However, most U.S. law enforcement agencies today have evidence handling systems that remain largely unchanged from the 1950s. Most police departments simply have an evidence room (and for agencies in larger cities, this room may be a whole warehouse). There, evidence is stored for possible use in investigating and prosecuting criminal cases often needing to be retained for years and handled by numerous hands in that time period. These critical items are managed most often using paper-based systems, often without computerized inventorying and logging of evidence being checked in and out of the area.

Not only are such manual evidence tracking systems time and labor intensive for police officers, they are prone both to inaccuracy and errors and to intentional misuse and abuse. Criminal cases have had to be dismissed before going to trial or lost in the courtroom due to critical items of evidence simply being lost in the evidence room. Likewise, all across the country, cases have been brought against police officers for internal theft of valuable items such as narcotics, guns, jewelry, electronics, and cash stolen from evidence storage facilities. Also, when police agencies do conduct manual inventories of their evidence rooms, they are often surprised at the items that are not found and confounded by some of those that are some dating back to cases that are decades old items that should have long ago been returned to their rightful owner, or else, sold at auction, donated to charity, or simply disposed of after the case they were being held for had been adjudicated. And surprisingly, there has been very little use of new technology in this area, with many agencies just now moving to hybrid systems (with computerized databases fed by manual record keeping) and very few bar code based evidence tracking systems on the market today.

RFID is on the Case

This sounds like a job for RFID (radio frequency identification), and today, there are several American firms that are looking to automatic identification technology as a way to reinvent the evidence management and tracking process. With RFID-based systems, they can offer law enforcement agencies for really the first time the prospect of having an electronic, verifiable chain of custody for evidentiary items in criminal cases vital for conducting criminal investigations and prosecutions in the CSI-influenced world of American justice. Such systems also hold forward the prospect of not just more effective evidence management internally within a single agency, but new possibilities for bringing visibility and connections to what have been heretofore the ultimate information silos with each separate police department having its own, often non-computerized and accuracy-challenged evidence tracking system in place.

The leading players in this market to date include:

Each markets variations on the same idea RFID-based tracking of evidence from the point of collection in the field to the evidence storage facility and tracking all movements of such articles throughout their life span as items involved in active criminal cases. Passive labels or tags are can be applied at the crime scene, with location and date/time data being recorded through the use of either RFID readers or PDAs equipped with GPS. When the items are brought in from the field, they are held in a secure space with fixed RFID readers monitoring the doorways of the evidence storage room or warehouse or even subspaces within them. Hand-held readers can then be used to locate items within the evidence facility. The systems work with either proprietary inventory management systems and/or standard database software to provide constant inventory reporting capabilities, along with the ability to create an electronic chain of custody report for individual pieces of evidence to kn ow where and when items were viewed or moved in a criminal investigation. As smart cards and electronic IDs are integrated into police agencies, the who actually handled the item can be automatically recorded without any human intervention as well.

All three firms systems while relatively very new are gaining traction in the law enforcement marketplace, with each having multiple agencies using their respective tracking systems, and each having its own unique features. For instance, the handheld reader used in the QuickTrac system not only tags the evidence on-site, but captures a digital photo of the item in the field. Intelligentzs Clues system includes the option of using active tags to track higher value whether monetary or case-critical in nature in the evidence storage facility. As such, the system can send alerts to supervisors if such high-security evidence is moved without authorization even within the room or warehouse.

Analysis

What does RFID evidence tracking mean for the future of law enforcement and criminal justice and the RFID industry? Certainly, the timing of the convergence between the technological leap forward that RFID represents and the rising expectations in criminal justice due to the CSI effect will propel many if not most law enforcement agencies to have to seriously examine their evidence tracking processes. This should bode well for these early entrant RFID integrators that are pioneering auto-ID technology in the law enforcement area. However, it will likely mean that we could see bigger RFID players also enter the law enforcement vertical as a new growth market for their own hardware, software and services or through market consolidation.

If there is movement toward standardizing RFIDbased evidence management protocols and further sharing of information between law enforcement agencies databases, this could usher in nothing less than a new era in policing. Michael Lucas, the founder and CEO of Intelligentz, recently described his vision for how such standardization and interlinking of law enforcement evidence management systems might work: Having multiple agencies using a unified chain-of-custody application would create an unprecedented level of crime scene visibility. Lucas emphasized his point by illustrating that: A size 5 glove found at a crime scene in one city might match the same type of glove found in another state. Without using such a system, theres no easy way to link those pieces of evidence. So, over the next decade, RFID will likely play an increasingly vital role in helping to piece the puzzle together to help solve crimes by improving evidence collection, management, and tracking capabilities creating new opportunities for the RFID industry in the process and not just in the U.S, but around the world as the power of the CSI effect goes global.

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Biography

David C. Wyld () is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at /. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (/), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. Dr. Wyld also maintains compilations of works he has helped his students to turn into editorially-reviewed publications at the following sites:

iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software

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Friday, November 2, 2012

Today’s Investigative Special Report – November 2, 2012 “Dealing With Today’s Law Enforcement Specialized Investigations” “Human Trafficking A Reality In A Free Society”

Posted on 9:00 PM by Unknown

Trafficking In Persons Report Map 2010 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Lawrence W. Daly, MSc

Forensic Expert – Senior Author

As a parent you never dream that your daughter will be abducted and turned into a sex slave, not a prostitute but a situation where young woman are put into a slavery situation where there are no paychecks or opportunities for advancements in the job market. Human trafficking is a reality in a country which is founded on the freedom to do what you want, making your own decisions, and having the rights to be free from physical, sexual, emotional, and mental abuse.

Human trafficking didn’t just begin yesterday. In fact, the stealing of young women to turn them into sex slaves has been happening for centuries, if not since the beginning of time. Sex sells so the desire to rob children and women of their innocence is financially worth the risk.

Law enforcement has been playing catch up when it comes to the illegal trade of human beings mainly for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor (Wikipedia, 2012). The United Nations in 2000 adopted an international legal agreement which began dealing with the human

trafficking problem.

In 2010 the United Nation and 117 countries and 137 parties ratified the Trafficking Protocol. The protocol is intended to stop the recruitment, transportation, transfer…harboring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered “trafficking in persons”… (Trafficking Protocol, 2003).

The Homeland Security began combating human trafficking by creating the Blue Campaign in 2010. Accordi

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 04: U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano (2nd L) speaks as Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (2nd R) and Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman (L) listen during a news conference at Union Station October 4, 2012 in Washington, DC. A new partnership among the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Transportation (DOT) and Amtrak was announced at the news conference to train over 8,000 frontline transportation employees and Amtrak Police Department officers to combat human trafficking. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

ng to the Homeland Security website, “The Blue Campaign, unifying the DSHS components to more effectively combat human trafficking through enhanced public awareness, training, victim assistance, and law enforcement investigations.”

Law enforcement has minimal training and education of their personnel due to the ideology that human trafficking is not happening in my city, county, state, or country. This obsolete and ignorant belief system has begun to change over the past couple decades, but is still not given the priority which it deserves. There have been a multitude of task forces developed which are addressing the human trafficking problem.

The education and training for law enforcement in how to investigate a human trafficking allegation needs to occur in all jurisdictions. Homeland Security has taken this crime and put in the necessary resources to address this major crime. Most law enforcement officials believe human trafficking only occurs in third world countries. This belief is based on bad information and demonstrates a need for law enforcement to examine and explore just how big of a problem human trafficking is in their community. However, there are recognized populations which are vulnerable to human trafficking.

Human trafficking as the United Nations defined it is all about the acts of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, and obtaining. The acts are accomplished by the means of force, fraud, or coercion. Further, the purpose is for exploitation, involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, and slavery or any commercial sex act involving a minor. Law enforcement officials need to understand this information provided by Homeland Security and ascertain if any of these types of situations are occurring in their community.

There needs to be education and training not only for law enforcement officials but for the citizens of the United States. An educated individual may save the life of a minor who has been smuggled or put into the tunnel of human trafficking. If the citizen can recognize the characteristics which surround these crimes, then just maybe they will use their mobile telephone and call law enforcement.

In order for law enforcement to investigate an allegation they must understand the difference between human trafficking and human smuggling. The United Nations and Homeland Security defined what is human trafficking. Human smuggling which is just as serious is the transportation of minors from different countries into the United States for the evasion of immigration laws.

Law enforcement needs to examine, evaluate, and investigate human trafficking by knowing the following trafficking indications. They are:

1. Upon arrival to a dispute the victim of human trafficking can’t produce any identification of who they are to law enforcement officers. Further, their relationship to the alleged perpetrators is difficult to establish because the victim, who fears for her life, and the perpetrators who don’t want to be incarcerated will unlikely cooperate with law enforcement.

2. Upon arrival to a dispute upon contacting the victim of human trafficking law enforcement may observe new physical injuries, but more importantly there appears to be scars from past abuse on her. When the officers attempt to interview the victim, she doesn’t cooperate.

3. During an investigation law enforcement officers perform a background into the alleged victims and perpetrators and there are issues which seem to be unexplainable in how the two crossed paths. The victims lack of cooperation can be an indicator that their benchmarks in the community do not appear to be employment or education related. Does the victim have the freedom to leave the residence where the complaint was made or the alleged crime was committed?

4. Law enforcements investigation into the background of the victim is able to ascertain that the victim the minor is not from the community in which the investigation occurred. In fact, the minor is from another community 3000 miles away and when asked where her parents are, she either refuses to provide the information or gives false information.

The above characteristics are only a few of the many indicators in dealing with victims and perpetrators of human trafficking. Human trafficking is a real problem and recognition by everyone in the United States that minors are being turned into sex slaves is a reality. Let us look at some of the statistics that support that human trafficking is a problem:

English: A chart showing positive correlation between level of human trafficking in countries and number of female children out of primary school. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An estimated 2.5 million people are in forced labor (including sexual exploitation) at any given time as a result of trafficking. 161 countries are reported to be affected by human trafficking by being a source, transit, or destination count. People are reported to be trafficked from 127 countries to be exploited in 137 countries, affecting every continent and every type of economy. The majority of trafficking victims are between 18 and 24 years of age. An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. 95% of victims experienced physical or sexual violence during trafficking (based on data from selected European countries. 43% of victims are used for forced commercial sexual exploitation, of whom 98 percent are women and girls. 32% of victims are used for forced economic exploitation, of whom 56 per cent are women and girls. Many trafficking victims have at least middle-level education (Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking, 2012).

The evidence and facts demonstrate that human trafficking is not in some other country, it is happening here. In order to stop the problem from growing into an epidemic, law enforcement must get ahead of the problem. Education and training should be an integral part of police academies curriculums. The advanced education must be offered across America so if there is leakage it can immediately be plugged. A great beginning is for law enforcement to consider the need for investigative change into an allegation of human trafficking is today.

Larry 2012.jpg

Lawrence W. Daly

www.onedaly.com

206-650-0229

onedaly@onedaly.com

Kent, WA

Posted in Criminology Amp Justice, Crimiology Amp Justice, human trafficking, Lawrence W. Daly, Sexual slavery | No comments

Behind the Yellow Tape Investigation into High School Rape Cover-up

Posted on 6:55 PM by Unknown

This story is about a girl who has not only been raped, but had her attacker defended by the whole town because he is a star football player, and had shoddy police work on the case to boot. Now to top it all off, our friend Alex Goddard is being sued for blogging about the case. Here are the shows that our other friend Joey Ortega has done on this subject to try and expose the truth. Listen and look through your truth glasses closely at this one C & J readers, as this should not be allowed to happen in the name of winnng athletics!

Gang Rape Cover-Up? When does team or fan loyalty go to far?

by Joey Ortega

Listen to internet radio with Joey Ortega on Blog Talk Radio

The Steubenville Gang Rapes analysis continues w/Kim Picazio

by Joey Ortega

Listen to internet radio with Joey Ortega on Blog Talk Radio

Steubenville Gang Rapes- Who is Jane Hanlin?

Listen to internet radio with Joey Ortega on Blog Talk Radio

Steubenville Gang Rapes- Updates & Analysis w/Kim Picazio

Listen to internet radio with Joey Ortega on Blog Talk Radio

Posted in cover up, Crimiology Amp Justice, football team, Jane Hanlin, Joey Ortega, Rape, Steubenville Ohio, Types of rape | No comments

Special Economic Zone: A Boon For Indian Economy

Posted on 2:31 AM by Unknown

It is a trade capacity development tool, with a goal to promote rapid economic growth by using tax and business incentives to attract foreign investment and technology. By offering privileged terms, Special Economic Zones attract investment and foreign exchange, spur employment and boost the development of improved technologies and infrastructure.

In India, Special Economic Zones are being established in an attempt to deal with infrastructural deficiencies, procedural complexities, bureaucratic hassles and barriers raised by monetary, trade, fiscal, taxation, tariff and labour policies. Since country-wide development of the infrastructure is expensive and implementation of structural reforms would require time, ( Special Economic Zones/Export Processing Zones) are being established as industrial enclaves for expediting the process of industrialization.

One of the earliest and most famous Special Economic Zone was founded by the government of the People's Republic of China under Deng Xiaoping in the early 1980s.

Government of India in April 2000 announced the introduction of Special Economic Zones policy in the country. As of 2007, more than 500 Special Economic Zones have been proposed, 220 of which have already been created. This has raised the concern of the World Bank, which questions the sustainability of such a large number of Special Economic Zones.

Tracing Indian economic reforms In India several attempts have been made to liberalize the system of economic management. In 1980s, the Indian Government focused on reorganizing low-efficient state-run enterprises and partial disinvestment, relaxing the control on private enterprises and foreign capital, introducing competitive mechanisms, reducing protection for domestic industries, promoting and importing advanced technological equipment from abroad etc.

In 1991, the reformed trade and industrial policy eliminated licensing requirements for private domestic and foreign investment in certain industries and relaxed the restrictions under the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act on expansion, diversification, mergers and acquisitions by large firms and industrial houses. Special Economic Zones came in pursuance of this export led growth strategy.

Special Economic Zones were announced by the Government of India in April 2000 as a part of the Export-Import policy of India. The government realized the need to enhance foreign investment, promote exports from the country and at the same time provide a level playing to the domestic enterprises, while ensuring manufacturers to be competitive globally.

The Special Economic Zones as announced by the Government of India in 2000 were deemed to be foreign territory for the purposes of trade operations, duties and tariffs. These zones were to provide an internationally competitive and hassle free environment for exports. Units were allowed be set up in Special Economic Zone for manufacture of goods and rendering of services. All import/export operations of the Special Economic Zone units were on self-certification basis. Anything could be imported duty free but sales in the Domestic Tariff Area by Special Economic Zone units were subject to payment of full Custom Duty and as per import policy in force. Further Offshore banking units were being allowed to be set up in the Special Economic Zones. The policy provided for setting up of Special Economic Zones in the public, private, joint sector or by State Governments.

On 31st August 2004 the Department of Commerce announced the Foreign Trade Policy 2004-2009 to create an appropriate institutional framework and policy environment for facilitation and growth of external trade. The basic objective of this policy was to double India's share of global merchandise trade by 2009 and make exports an effective instrument of economic growth and employment generation. The Special Economic Zone Act, 2005 and the Special Economic Zone Rules, 2006 were introduced under this policy, to regulate and promote the development of these industrial enclaves.

The Act designated the Special Economic Zones a duty free enclave to be treated as foreign territory only for trade operations and duties and tariffs. Under the Act, no license is required for import and no routine examination is to be conducted by the custom authorities of the export/import cargo. To aid backward and forward integration of the economy, the Act provides exemptions to Special Economic Zone units and Special Economic Zone developers from all indirect taxes, including basic customs duty, countervailing duty, education cess, and direct taxes while at the same time domestic sales are subject to full customs duty and import policy in force. The Act provided the freedom to subcontract. It also permitted manufacturing, trading and service activities in the Special Economic Zones.

India and China : Whether on a Level Platform Success stories of large and small developing countries can be explained by the growth of world trade and opening up of these economies with market based deregulation. But from any in-depth scrutiny one finds that the reform package under the broad heading of "liberalization" is very different from country to country. There is no standard recipe of a "reform package". A lot of factors influence the performance of Special Economic Zones in a country e.g. economic history, location, industries, state policy etc. Since India has adopted the idea of the special economic zones from China it becomes pertinent to study the history of economic development in India and China.

China's success can be ascribed largely because of its effective population control. In the pre-reform days, both in China and India top priority was given to equity, removing poverty and increasing the social aspects of standards of living. This, however, was attempted in China under a total state-controlled economy and in India with the public sector playing a dominant role along with the market forces. Both the economies adopted a strategy of import substitution and heavy industry growth. China over time, realized that maintaining high standards of living becomes difficult unless efficiency in the use of resources is increased. Its attempt to maintain equity through forced saving and administered directives resulted in social unrest, which came to a breaking point after the controversial Cultural Revolution. The key objective of present reform in China is to bring incentives back in the economy by increasing the role of the market with minimum changes in their political i nstitutions. This is defined in China as an experiment in a socialistic market economy.

In India, heavy import substitution lead to increased inefficiency in production and generation of surplus for maintaining the tempo of equity measures as a result social development became impossible. This led to heavy borrowing, culminating in a balance of payments crisis. To meet the crisis, this new economic policy in India was initiated.

China's success in attracting foreign direct investment and becoming one of the top exporting countries of the world hinged on the careful implementation of its Special Economic Zone policy. Size, location, flexible labour laws and stable policies were the factors primarily responsible for making Chinese Special Economic Zones attractive to foreign investors. In India, the fiscal concessions being offered to developers and units are the primary driving force.

Chinese government started building Special Economic Zones way back in 1979. The idea behind the Special Economic Zones was to experiment with liberal policies in certain ear-marked regions while insulating the rest of the economy from their influence. The government identified huge tracts of land, near the coastal region, and started building mega cities with all required infrastructure. Stringent labour laws applicable in China were relaxed in these regions and foreign investment was encouraged by offering concessions and promising of stability.

In 1980 four Special Economic Zones namely, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen were opened up. In 1984, fourteen coastal cities were opened up as a further step. In 1985, three delta areas along the Yangtze River and Pearl River and in the southern part of Fujian province as well as several other places were opened up. In the following years, Hainan Island, Pudong New Area in Shanghai, five big cities along the Yangtze River, eighteen provincial capitals and a part of inland and border cities were opened up. These zones were created initially as experimental stations to adjust and watch their operations vis--vis open market interactions.

Though India had a head-start in the direction by building its first export processing zone in 1969 with certain minimum infrastructure and fiscal sops, it could not muster enough political will to build full-fledged Special Economic Zones with foreign territory status in the matters of international trade till the turn of the century. As opposed to five mega Special Economic Zones built by the Chinese government (the largest being Shenzhen built over 49,500 hectares), India opened its doors to private players and allowed sector-specific Special Economic Zones to develop on just 10 hectares of land. As a result, more than 500 Special Economic Zones have been proposed, 220 of which have already been created. The economies of scale, which seems to have worked so well in China by reducing production costs, may not have the same effect in the Indian Special Economic Zone s.

In China, the government chose the location for Special Economic Zone s with a lot of thought with all five located near the coastal region. This made it easier for the Special Economic Zone units to export their products and import inputs. In India, Special Economic Zones are being built all over the country, wherever land can be acquired by the developers. This has also led to allegations of land-grabbing and conversion of productive agricultural land by developers. As a result, Centre has made it mandatory that all proposals should have a certificate from the state governments notifying that the land being used is non-agricultural for at least 90%.

Flexibility in labour laws, which played an important role in attracting foreign investors, is absent in the Indian Special Economic Zones. This is one of the prices India has to pay for the advantages of a federal democratic government. India has, however, tried to make up for all the disadvantages by offering attractive fiscal sops. Tax holidays for Special Economic Zones in India are longer and steeper than those given by China. This had given rise to some dissent from the finance ministry which had complained that the fiscal loss would be immense. In fact the scheme has generated a difference of opinion between the Finance and Commerce Ministries. While the former is voicing its concerns about possible revenue loss from the tax privileges for the Special Economic Zones, the latter is stoutly defending the policy with statistics suggesting minimal losses and highlighting eventual gains in terms of employment and revenues

Reserve Bank of India has also expressed its concerns about the revenue losses and the uneven pattern of development. Reserve Bank of India insisted on factoring the revenue implications of the taxation benefits. The revenue loss for the Government in providing incentives may be justified only if the Special Economic Zone units ensure forward and backward linkages with the domestic economy. Also, as resources are being diverted from the less developed, growth will not be uniform.

One of the most basic difference between the Special Economic Zone model adopted in China and India is that the Chinese Special Economic Zone initiative is government driven, whereas Indian Special Economic Zones are driven by private sector . In China , the State acquires the land and develops the required infrastructure, while private enterprises are invited to set up units. Under such a system, land continues to be under the ownership of the State. In India, however, private entities are being involved in developing the Special Economic Zone infrastructure. As a result, Land is being acquired by the State and handed over to private developers.

Current Controversy The Economic Survey of 2006-07 highlighted the fact that Special Economic Zone s are testing grounds for the implementation of liberal market economy principles. At the same the survey emphasized on some apprehensions against the Special Economic Zones: Generation of little new activity as there may be relocation of industries to take advantage of tax concessions, Revenue loss, Large-scale land acquisition by the developers, may lead to displacement of farmers with meager compensation, Acquisition of prime agricultural land, having serious implications for food security, Misuse of land by the developers for real estate and Uneven growth aggravating regional inequalities.

The Survey also mentioned that many of these apprehensions, however, could be addressed through appropriate policies and safeguards. A major controversy surrounding the implementation of the Special Economic Zone scheme has been the ruthless manner adopted for acquiring land. News reports highlighted protests across the country against acquisition of lands for the purpose of establishing Special Economic Zones. The "SEZ No More" campaign gained momentum after the bloody chapter in Nandigram.

Since, developing Special Economic Zones involves massive displacement of farmers, it is essential that a systematic approach should be followed for ensuring balance of interests. Consequently, state governments have been advised that in land acquisition for Special Economic Zones, first priority should be for acquisition of waste and barren land and if necessary single crop agricultural land. If perforce a portion of double-cropped agricultural land has to be acquired to meet the minimum area requirements, especially for multi-product Special Economic Zone, the same should not exceed 10 % of the total land required for the Special Economic Zone

The government has also announced the new National Policy on Rehabilitation and Resettlement 2007. This policy would provide land-for-land compensation for acquisition of land for development purposes, including Special Economic Zones, and employment to at least one person from each affected family. A National Rehabilitation Commission would be set up by the Central Government, which would be duly empowered to exercise independent oversight over the rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected families. Further, wage employment would be provided to the willing affected persons in the construction work in the project. The policy also ensures housing benefits including houses to the landless affected families in both rural and urban areas.

Adequate provisions have been made for financial support to the affected families for construction of cattle sheds, shops, working sheds; transportation costs, temporary and transitional accommodation, comprehensive infrastructural facilities and amenities in the resettlement area including education, health care, drinking water, roads, electricity, sanitation, religious activities, cattle grazing, and other community resources.

The benefits expressed in monetary terms have been linked to the Consumer Price Index, and the same shall also be revised suitably at appropriate intervals. Special provision has been made for providing life-time monthly pension to the vulnerable persons, such as the disabled, destitute, orphans, widows, unmarried girls, abandoned women, or persons above 50 years of age (who are not provided or cannot immediately be provided with alternative livelihood).

A strong grievance redressal mechanism has been prescribed, which includes standing R&R Committees at the district level, R&R Committees at the project level, and an Ombudsman duly empowered in this regard. The R&R Committees shall have representatives from the affected families including women, voluntary organizations, Panchayats, local elected representatives, etc. Provision has also been made for post-implementation social audits of the rehabilitation and resettlement schemes and plans.

For effective monitoring of the progress of implementation of R&R plans, provisions have been made for a National Monitoring Committee, a National Monitoring Cell, mandatory information sharing by the States and Union Territories with the National Monitoring Cell, and Oversight Committees in the Ministries/Departments concerned for each major project.

For ensuring transparency, provision has been made for mandatory dissemination of information on displacement, rehabilitation and resettlement, with names of the affected persons and details of the rehabilitation packages. Such information shall be placed in the public domain on the Internet as well as shared with the concerned Gram Sabhas and Panchayats by the project authorities. This policy aims at striking a balance between the need for land for development purposes and protecting the interests of land owners and other displaced people.

Conclusion A study conducted by Aradhna Aggarwal on the Impact of Special Economic Zones on Employment, Poverty and Human Development indicated, that Employment generation, both direct and indirect, has thus far been the most important channel, through which Special Economic Zones have impacted on human development and poverty reduction in India. However, the role of Special Economic Zone s in human capital formation and as an engine for promoting new knowledge, technologies and innovations through technology transfers and technology creation appears to be relatively limited. With new generation Special Economic Zones emerging, the scope of human capital formation and technology upgrading effects will widen. It is therefore important for the government to play a pro active role in strengthening these effects.

For the contribution of Special Economic Zones to various aspects of human development to be realized, it is important to forge linkages between the domestic economy and Special Economic Zones. Systematic efforts need to be made to help zone units forge links with the outside units. Also, the effects of Special Economic Zones are contingent upon the success of these zones in attracting investment, in particular, Foreign Direct Investment. A comprehensive policy framework is required to attain this. The government has to ensure that strategies are developed in a timely manner to strengthen the opportunities that are likely to emerge, protect interests of the Special Economic Zones workers, and forge linkages between Special Economic Zones and the domestic economy. Such a regulated and monitored approach is the only means of attaining the actual potential of these Special Economic Zones.

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Thursday, November 1, 2012

Liberty Auto Insurance- A Short Overview - Insurance - Auto

Posted on 2:29 AM by Unknown

Before knowing about Liberty auto insurance kit, you will need to know about Liberty city. Liberty is a sophisticated city which is located in Clay County, Missouri. This American city is also a suburb which covers the part of Kansas City in USA. Now, Liberty has an excellent historical background. This major city in Missouri nurtures the education, culture, sports, and social activities. Liberty has also become the commercial hub as new industries have been established to reinforce the economic structure of Missouri. The main commercial unit of Ferrellgas, the supplier of propane gas Distribution Company, is located in Liberty, Missouri.

The Reason of Selecting Liberty Auto Insurance

Liberty provides the necessary backup to those who have vehicles. There are several reasons of selecting this insurance package. First of all, this well known insurance policy is meant for those who need the financial backup to repair the damaged cars. The duration of this policy is a one year instead of six months. Comparing to other auto insurance policies, terms and conditions of Liberty car insurance are flexible and easy to maintain. Liberty car insurance policy is available in 50 states. Therefore you will have better chance to apply for this profitable car insurance package. Next, the demand for the Liberty car insurance is increasing at high speed because of the good provisions and facilities offered by underwriters. Premium rates of the policies are affordable and you can pay your monthly premiums via online service.

In this connection, you will have to fill up an online form mentioning your personal details for the registration purpose. You will get excellent opportunity to choose favorable payment options. There are monthly, quarterly and annually premium payment schemes. Liberty auto insurance also provides accident forgiveness option. In this case, within the range of 5 years, if you have no further accident, your premium rates will not be hiked due to the recent/first car accident. The insurance company will not take steps to accelerate the premium rates in this regard.

Liberty auto insurance will help you to rebuild your damaged car. You will get financial assistance from your underwriter for reshaping and repairing your vehicle. Due to online transaction, Liberty car insurance policy can be operated from home as well. There is no necessity to attend office to meet agents. 24X7 customer care service is offered to clients who can inquire to have authentic data about the multi-functionality of Liberty insurance plan.

How to Find Liberty Car Insurance Representatives?

If you are interested in getting protection to your new or old cars, you can choose Liberty auto insurance plans. Just check out Liberty auto insurance agents who are not only reliable but also workable. Online surfing gives ample scope to people to make the proper selection. Your agents should be honest and trustworthy. Online free quotes are the easy solution to get back the proper information about Liberty auto insurance policy for getting financial backup during the emergency. When you decide to select Liberty car insurance agents, you will have to check their performance records which have registered their overall performance. You can check whether they have got accolades and appreciation from the consumers' forum and USA clients in the issuance of Liberty auto insurance kit. Liberty auto insurance policy agents must have original licenses and documents. You need to check all these materials for getting satisfactory service.

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Liberty Auto Insurance- A Short Overview - Insurance - Auto

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