Language translation for file paths

Forensic examiners are frequently confronted with content in languages that they do not understand, and they could benefit from machine translation into their native language. But automated translation of file paths is a difficult problem because of the minimal context for translation and the frequent mixing of multiple languages within a path. This work developed a prototype implementation of a file-path translator that first identifies the language for each directory segment of a path, and then translates to English those that are not already English nor artificial words. Brown's LA-Strings utility for language identification was tried, but its performance was found inadequate on short strings and it was supplemented with clues from dictionary lookup, Unicode character distributions for languages, country of origin, and language-related keywords. To provide better data for language inference, words used in each directory over a large corpus were aggregated for analysis. The resulting directory-language probabilities were combined with those for each path segment from dictionary lookup and character-type distributions to infer the segment's most likely language. Tests were done on a corpus of 50.1 million file paths looking for 35 different languages. Tests showed 90.4% accuracy on identifying languages of directories and 93.7% accuracy on identifying languages of directory/file segments of file paths, even after excluding 44.4% of the paths as obviously English or untranslatable. Two of seven proposed language clues were shown to impair directory-language identification. Experiments also compared three translation methods: the Systran translation tool, Google Translate, and word-for-word substitution using dictionaries. Google Translate usually performed the best, but all still made errors with European languages and a significant number of errors with Arabic and Chinese.     

Unaccountable: The Current State of Private Military and Security Companies

Abstract

The current accountability system for private military and security contractors (PMSCs) is woefully inadequate, and mere enhancements in oversight cannot hope to remedy that failing. I contend that once we recognize the kind of accountability required of PMSCs, we will realize that radical changes in the foundational relationship between PMSCs and the state are required. More specifically, in order to be appropriately accountable, members of PMSCs must become a part of or, at the very least, directly responsible to the legitimate authoritative military or police structures, and there must be a clear and precise delineation of responsibility among public officials for holding individual members of PMSCs criminally liable.     

Effects of Individual and Contextual Characteristics on Preadjudication Detention of Juvenile Delinquents

This study examined individual and contextual factors affecting preadjudication detention of juvenile delinquents in 65 counties of a northeastern state. Results demonstrated that while individual characteristics of the juvenile delinquents were important predictors, much of the variation in decisions was explained when contextual factors of the counties were included in a two‐level hierarchical linear model. In addition to the statistically significant legal and extralegal juvenile characteristics, our study found that counties with a higher percentage of non‐White population were more likely to detain juvenile delinquents prior to adjudication. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering both individual and contextual factors of jurisdictions when examining the adjudication process.     

A Stone’s Throw from the Metropolis: Re-Examining Small-Agency Homeland Security Practices

Police agencies nationwide have enhanced their homeland security preparedness capacity since the 9/11 attacks. Evidence suggests that departments have not uniformly adopted measures to prepare for and respond to critical incidents. Rather, larger agencies are more likely than their smaller peers to take such steps. Small agencies do not constitute a homogenous group; some experience geographic isolation while others are near major metropolitan areas. Unclear is whether small agencies (25 or fewer full-time sworn personnel), those that are commonly found to be less prepared, benefit from proximity to large-agency peers. This study examined whether physical and relational proximity to large departments contributed to homeland security preparedness in over 300 small departments. A structural equation model revealed that interactions with large agencies facilitated preparedness but physical proximity had no direct effect. Increasing geographic isolation from large-agency peers indirectly affected preparedness by stifling the level of inter-department interactions.     

论依法治教的几个基本问题

探讨依法治教的科学内涵和特征,分析人们在依法治教上的认识误区,阐述加强依法治教对推进中国教育的改革和发展具有重要意义。     

“机关”不宜规定为单位犯罪的主体

机关应否规定为单位犯罪的主体,在1996年修订《刑法》时即存在争论。我国1997年《刑法》第30条明文规定"机关"可以作为单位犯罪的主体,但争论并未因此而停止。通过对"机关应否规定为单位犯罪主体的争论"和"机关规定为单位犯罪主体的得失"的评析,可以看出将国家机关规定为单位犯罪的主体弊大于利,因而虽有规定,却没有执行,实际成为置而不用。据此,"机关"不宜规定为单位犯罪的主体,《刑法》第30条中的"机关"一词还是取消为好。     

侦查到案制度:从现实到理想——一个实证角度的研究

传唤、拘传、口头传唤、留置、抓捕构成了实践中的侦查到案措施体系。对三个典型地区公安机关的调研表明,法定到案措施与非法定到案措施的适用明显错位。根据研究资料分析:审批程序耗时与到案期限紧张这两个因素造成了法定到案措施适用率低下;相比而言,非法定到案措施具有适用条件灵活、适用机制简便、适用手段具有不同程度的强制性以及适用期限弹性较大等特点,由于这些特点,侦查人员较愿选择非法定到案措施。实践中到案措施体系的犯罪控制功能显而易见,从程序正当角度评价,这一体系的运行既有权力控制的倾向,也有权力滥用、不当限制权利的倾向。侦查到案制度的改革应坚持犯罪控制与人权保障相平衡的理念,汲取实践中的理性做法,适当参考国外同类制度,建立一个逻辑严密、协调一致,能够充分应对各类案件特点和证据条件的到案措施体系。     

论广东街面“两抢一盗”犯罪的精确打击

严厉打击街面“两抢一盗”犯罪活动,是当前公安中心工作的重要任务之一。通过提高侦查人员的综合素质,加强对“两抢一盗”犯罪情报信息研判,精确获取街面“两抢一盗”犯罪证据,实施精确打击,是“专项整治”遏制“两抢一盗”犯罪的需要,是提高办案质量和对犯罪人员的打击处理率的重要保证,是公安机关打击街面“两抢一盗”犯罪这场战役是否取得成效的重要标准,也是我们当前加强街面“两抢一盗”犯罪案件侦查工作问题研究所面临的一个重要课题。     

论公安机关在社会主义新农村建设中的历史使命

积极投身社会主义新农村建设,是新形势下党赋予公安机关的新的重大历史使命。但是,当前农村治安形势不容乐观:重大刑事案件时有发生;“黄赌毒”等社会丑恶现象开始由城市向农村转移;群体性突发事件还将持续上升;农村封建迷信沉渣泛起,邪教组织屡禁不绝等等。对此,公安机关要充分发挥基石作用,把维护农村社会政治稳定作为社会主义新农村建设中的首要任务;充分发挥打击违法犯罪的尖刀作用,严厉打击涉农犯罪;充分发挥在社会治安防范中的骨干作用,构筑农村社会治安防控体系;充分发挥在社会治安综合治理的主力军作用,进一步加强农村地区社会治安综合治理。     

论拒绝提供间谍犯罪证据罪的争点问题

刑法第311条规定之罪的罪名应当被确定为"拒绝提供间谍犯罪证据罪".该罪侵犯的直接客体应当是:国家安全机关对间谍犯罪的侦查活动.该罪行为在时间、内容及程度上均有其特定性.该罪主体应当是特殊主体,其罪过形式应当是直接故意.在认定上,主要应当注意该罪与包庇罪、伪证罪及妨害公务罪的区别.