Author Jennifer Chase

Photography Sunday — Ghostly Barn

Posted on June 12, 2011 by jchasenovelist

I love to take short side trips around my area to look for anything interesting to photograph when I’m not writing. I absolutely love old barns and structures, whether they are around the coast, central valley, or up in the mountains. They tell a story.

These beautiful structures are slowly becoming extinct. This particular barn was photographed near the coastline in California. I couldn’t get close to photograph it the way I wanted to, so I set up my tripod across a slough and used a telephoto lens. It was a cold, foggy day, but I managed to snap a few shots to record another favorite barn of mine.

Have an adventurous, but safe weekend!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged author jennifer chase, california barn, photography, sunday | Leave a comment

Crime Mapping and Law Enforcement — Putting the Pieces Together

Posted on June 11, 2011 by jchasenovelist

A complex and growing problem among our civilized society has been the cause and effect of crime. Three basic issues have been addressed and debated: how to prevent crime, how to combat crime, and how to punish for the criminal act. Extensive research and tactical techniques have been the outcome to address such issues to protect the quality of life. Crime mapping systems have been one of the major contributing factors to pinpointing crime areas, decreasing acts of crime, and implementing crime prevention programs.

Analyzing and organization of crime facts has been around, in effect, for virtually centuries. Some of the earliest studies into the spatial distribution of crime was thought to take place in the 1800s and was called Cartographic School of Criminology, which was initiated in France and then later extended to England. In England (1862), Mayhew examined the variation of crimes by the population density, who later concluded with study that crime was common in the urban and industrial areas.

Debated and not widely known, was Frenchman Eugene Francois Vidocq, a criminal that turned police detective in the early 1800s helped to organize the Surete’, the detective bureau of the French police. Criminal investigation was literally born with his innovative techniques of record keeping, namely a card index system, into a newborn area of criminalistics. Today, Vidocq is celebrated for his pioneering contribution to crime solving by The Vidocq Society is an organization made up of the top forensic professionals who donate their time to solve “cold case” crimes.

The collection of crime data hasn’t been something new. The accelerated computer technology explosion has allowed large amounts of information to be analyzed and manipulated into cohesive reports and maps for study in a cost efficient package.

Since the late 1990s, crime mapping has been sophisticated enough for easy to read reports for important law enforcement functions: operations, command and control decisions, investigations, community policing, cross-jurisdictional analyses, and multi-agency public safety partnerships.

One of the biggest questions that has been asked is how to automate the geographical analysis of crime locations. The Geographical Analysis Machine (GAM) was an early automated spatial data analysis relatively easy to comprehend. GAM generates a grid, which shows clustering of crime density areas and patterns, called “hotspots”. Geographical Explanations Machine (GEM) has the capability to show the factors that are associated with “hotspots”. Both of these techniques help to assist law enforcement officers how to begin to understand and combat the localized crime “hotspots”.

Another important factor of crime mapping and Geographical Information Science/Systems (GIS) is analyzing and carefully examining repeat victimization and “hotspots”. It was discovered that approximately forty percent (40%) of all repeat victimizations occur within one month of the initial incident. By using geographical maps of the crime incidents, it helps law enforcement officers to study many aspects of the crime location, such as, paths, roadways, lighting conditions, small passageways, and back areas of the properties that can be undetected. By taking repeat victimization incidents a step even further, it was indicated by the crime analyses that repeat victimization is related to social deprivation. All of these aspects are tools to assist law enforcement in crime specific areas.

Even though automated crime mapping and analysis is relatively new within the last decade, it has made leaps and bounds with the ease of application and data results for many police agencies. With the visual capability of pinpointing high crime areas and the ability to study all aspects of patrol areas, it has begun to make crime preventative measures possible. More community policing and positive interaction with the public, together, will help to solve and combat crime.

With any new technology and new approaches to the never-ending debate of law and order, there are potential glitches to the system. There hasn’t been enough time to set a crime mapping standard of what will work with the most optimum results as a general rule. Crime mapping isn’t the only answer, but certainly is an important part of combating crime.

Armed with knowledge, experience, detailed coherent information of crime mapping and analysis, it is the framework and foundation that will begin to answer the questions of how to prevent crime and how to combat crime in our society today.

Blog: www.authorjenniferchase.com/
Website: www.jenniferchase.vpweb.com/
Crime Watch Blog: www.emilystonecrimewatch.wordpress.com/
Book & Crime Talk: www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase/
Books: Compulsion = Dead Game = Silent Partner = Screenwriting

Posted in crime, Forensic | Tagged award winning author, crime mapping, crime prevention, dead game, law enforcement | Leave a comment

Kindle Author Interview — Dead Game by Jennifer Chase

Posted on June 10, 2011 by jchasenovelist

I stopped by a great Kindle book blog today and spoke with David Wisehart. If you have some time, please check out this great blog and discover some new Kindle authors.

Here’s my interview: Kindle Author Jennifer Chase

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Psychic Makes False Claims of Mass Gravesite in Texas

Posted on June 10, 2011 by jchasenovelist

Frenzied news reports that were coming out of Texas earlier this week led many of us to believe that a serial killer’s victims had been discovered in the Lone Star State. A woman, who later identified herself as a psychic who goes by the name of Angel, called the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office to report that there was a mass grave of dismembered children on a property in Hardin, Texas. After an investigation of the area and the attention of media outlets around the world, it was determined that there was no merit to the woman’s claims. There was a foul smell due to a malfunctioning meat freezer and blood on the porch due to an injury that occurred several weeks ago . . . but thankfully no dead bodies.

Angel now fears that her identity will be revealed and that her family will be in physical danger. She insists that her intentions were good and that she is certain there are hungry and thirsty children gathered somewhere in dire need of help from the authorities. In fact, Angel says that she never indicated that she knew of any deceased children. She is upset that she is now being criticized for offering a tip to the police and believes the bad publicity she is receiving will deter others from coming forward.

The police are obligated to follow up on any information they receive, so they were acting with due diligence in checking out the property. And, there have been instances in which psychics and others with special abilities have offered their services to law enforcement with great success.

But, how you can discern if the tip is legitimate or coming from someone who may not be thinking clearly? Is Angel obligated to justify the basis for her information, as it appears to be entirely false and the cause of unnecessary alarm?

What do you think?

Posted in crime, Police | Tagged award winning author and criminologist, child welfare, police investigation, psychic, texas | Leave a comment

Out & About Magazine — June Issue

Posted on June 9, 2011 by jchasenovelist

The June issue of Out & About Magazine has hit the stands. It’s a local magazine on and around the Monterey Bay, California. You can also view it online: Out & About Magazine

I write a monthly column for book reviews and crime safety tips. I’m proud to be a part of this great team. My column in this issue for summer safety is on page 44.

Posted in crime, Writing | Tagged author jennifer chase, crime safety tips, monthly column, out and about magazine, thrillers | Leave a comment

So You Want to Write a Screenplay – But Now What?

Posted on June 9, 2011 by jchasenovelist

I’ve loved movies for as long as I can remember – all genres, drama, action, thriller, and comedies. The cinema has been a writing inspiration and a fun escape for me.

I have wanted to write screenplays for as long as I can remember. Writing quick, snappy dialogue to bring characters to life, cutting away to high impact, action sequences, and making sure that the ending was satisfying to moviegoers.

Well, that’s exactly what I did. I learned to write screenplays. I’ve written more than ten scripts, taught beginning screenwriting in the online environment, and conducted screenwriting seminars. Now, I’ve incorporated my online class and screenwriting knowledge into an informational book called How to Write a Screenplay.

I found that it was difficult to obtain all the information and instruction to write a complete screenplay. There are many great books available as well as screenwriting classes, but I felt they were incomplete and sometimes expensive.

I’ve created a ten-step building block process designed to get you motivated, keep you on track, and ultimately create the first draft of your screenplay from beginning to end.

You will read the lesson portion in each step as many times as necessary until you feel comfortable with the concepts.
There will be an example to enhance your understanding of the lesson.
You can test your comprehension of each step with a self-quiz using true/false, fill in the blank, or multiple choice. You will then be able to check your answers at the back of the e-book.
You will receive an assignment for each lesson.
The process of creating a screenplay is designed to be fun! There will be movies to watch and web site links of actual screenplays to explore and study.

This e-book is designed to be interactive and will give you results. I have designed this e-book in sections of screenwriting building blocks that will walk you through the process of writing your screenplay.

1. Getting Started will get your feet wet and help you organize for what’s ahead.

2. Premise & Logline will begin to build the foundation of your screenplay with brief outlines, plot summaries, and assistance of how “high-concept” will affect your script.

3. Format will jump into the format, copyright, and a glossary of terms that will take the guesswork out of the business end of screenwriting.

4. Characters and Dialogue are the fundamental building blocks that will shape your storyline and will definitely be the most fun.

5. Story explores the primary meaning of your script and how everything fits together.

6. The Hook is the first five to seven pages of the screenplay that grabs the reader and movie enthusiast into wanting to see more.

7-10. The 1^st Act concentrates on the setup, 2^nd Act concentrates on the confrontation and conflicts, and the 3^rd Act wraps up with the resolution of the story. Finally, you will write the first draft of your screenplay.

What do you have to lose?

You can begin writing your screenplay right now!

How to Write a Screenplay

Posted in Screenwriting | Tagged acts, author jennifer chase, emily stone series, screenwriting, script | Leave a comment

Alleged Serial Killer in Ohio Faces the Potential Jurors

Posted on June 8, 2011 by jchasenovelist

Anthony Sowell, an Ohio man accused of killing eleven women and then disposing of their bodies on his property, faced potential jurors for the first time on Monday. Two hundred men and women from whom will likely come the group that chooses Sowell’s fate were greeted with a simple “Hello” from the possible serial killer as jury selection began in a Cuyahoga County courtroom.

Sowell, who I have featured before on this blog, is facing 85 counts of rape, murder, and dismemberment for acts that occurred between 2007 and 2009. He focused on women who were struggling with addiction and, after raping them, would strangle them to death. He was able to continue his horrible attacks for several years because most of the women he targeted where never even reported missing and the smell of decaying bodies that emanated from his house was attributed to a nearby sausage factory.

The large group of jurors was divided into smaller groups of fifteen and then the judge led each one through an orientation, including an extensive conversation about each person’s views on the death penalty. This process lasted well into the dinner hour, with more potential jurors to receive their initial evaluation tomorrow. The jurors who ultimately are selected for this trial should expect to spend six to eight weeks offering their services to the case.

Most of us will never be asked to serve on a jury that receives the level of publicity and the time commitment that the Sowell jurors will face. But, you likely will be called to jury duty at some point, if you haven’t already. For those who have been asked to show up and be vetted for a jury, what was your experience like? Are there any moments that stand out to you in the process?