Law Enforcement Corrections Technology News

NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, November 2, 2006

"'Less-Lethal,' Still Deadly: Weapons Debate Heats Up After Death of Teen When Police Use Taser"
Chicago Tribune (11/04/06); Torriero, E.A.; Sheehan, Charles

A nationwide debate concerning the use of Taser stun guns continues to expand, particularly on individuals with disabilities or mental problems. Both law enforcement and medical experts are requiring an in-depth examination of the advantages and risks of Tasers. Decisions concerning less-deadly devices, which include Tasers, beanbag shotguns, and paintball weapons that discharge polymer shells, are still made at the local level, with weapons that are prohibited in one city being bought for large sums of money on others. Tasers, the less-lethal weapon utilized most often by police departments, are employed by around 9,800 agencies, and around 230,000 weapons are currently in use. In the past 10 years, over 200 Americans have died following incidents in which stun guns were used, Amnesty International-USA reports. The majority of those killed were mentally troubled or on drugs. Last summer, the U.S. Department of Justice started investigating fatalities involving Tasers, and numerous independent studies are also taking place. In addition, Taser manufacturer Taser International is defending itself in around 60 lawsuits.
http://www.chicagotribune.com
/news/nationworld/chi-0611040
266nov04,1,81594.story?coll=ch
i-news-hed

"Visalia Police Get Video Boost"
Fresno Bee (CA) (11/03/06) P. 1; Sheehan, Tim

The Department of Homeland Security will provide a $35,500 grant to Visalia, Calif., police investigators to purchase a forensic video enhancement system that will allow them to view security videotapes ranging from traffic accidents to a crime in a convenience store. The Visalia City Council accepted the grant after it was approved this past September. There are misconceptions as to how forensic video enhancement actually works. "On TV, they show a very pixelated item, they push a button and then they can see it clearly," says Jim Potts at the Visalia Police Department. "What we expect to be able to do is take surveillance video that's dimly lit and enhance it to lighten it up or bring our more color so we can see it better." Potts says with the system they can enhance video images, but they cannot enhance a poor quality video. The system can slow down time-lapse video, freeze images, and improve audio recordings. The video enhancement system is scheduled to arrive sometime this month. http://www.fresnobee.com
/270/story/10970.html

"New Technology Targeting Terror Coming to Region"
Los Angeles Times (11/03/06) P. B5; Winton, Richard

Los Angeles and Orange County hope to become among the first users in the United States of new technology that helps first responders and investigators detect bombs. A demonstration of the electronic information system, called Technical Resource for Incident Prevention (TRIPwire), was recently held in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County and Orange County sheriff's departments are obtaining the TRIPwire system for detection of explosive traps set up by terrorists. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is providing the technology.
http://www.latimes.com

"City Planning Surveillance Program"
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) (11/01/06) P. B1; Kotsopoulos, Nick

Worcester, Mass.'s city administration is preparing to install a pilot program after Jan. 1 in which surveillance cameras will be employed at certain intersections to oversee traffic and catch drivers who run red lights or stop signs. Worcester officials hope to eventually broaden surveillance technology use by implementing video cameras in high-crime sections and in city parks that have been attacked by vandalism. City Manager Michael O'Brien informed the Worcester City Council on Oct. 31 that this technology can be an efficient tool to aid the police department. With the numerous public safety goals the department is asked to handle, it is nearly impossible for police officer to be in all places, he stated. O'Brien also said having surveillance cameras at intersections can provide new revenue for Worcester through the dispensement of traffic tickets. He conceded, however, that the revenue stream would probably decline as drivers learned where the cameras were. O'Brien added that his administration is looking into making certain the plan that is eventually devised is one that is constructed on a strong platform so the wireless technology can be used as well by other municipal departments. Councilor-at-Large Joseph M. Petty stated that the technology can upgrade the quality of life for inhabitants because of its proven record in preventing crime. http://www.telegram.com
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=/20061101/NEWS/611010715/1101

"Easton Patrol Cars to Finally Go High-Tech"
Allentown Morning Call (PA) (11/01/06) P. B7; Jordan, Tracy

The City Council of Easton, Pa., has endorsed a pair of contracts to enable city police officers to have in-vehicle computers. The city made a $59,535 contract with GTBM for the Info-Cop system and a $75,000 contract with Enforsys Police Systems for record management software. No longer will Easton police have to physically go to the police station to file reports; they will be able to do so from their cruisers. Furthermore, they will have links to criminal justice databases and will not have to use radios to request information from the Northampton County 911 communication center. Police Chief Larry Palmer said the new technology was approved in the wake of major court settlements involving alleged police aggressiveness. Mandatory, independent probes found shortcomings in the police force, such as the absence of in-cruiser computers and video cameras. Palmer said the department also hopes to obtain video cameras in the future to minimize liability claims. Robert Mateff, deputy director of the 911 center, says the new computers can also be used to monitor officers' productivity and aid in officers' investigations by retaining data searches.
http://www.mcall.com
/news/local/all-b1_3co
mputersnov01,0,240506.story

"Driving Framed In Pictures"
Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN) (11/02/06); Gregory, Lauren

In 1992 the first sustained red light camera system was introduced in New York City and the city of Chattanooga now wants to follow in the same footsteps and install traffic cameras to change drivers' behavior. Currently, more than 20 states are using cameras in more than 150 communities. Many communities are abandoning manpower in favor of technology in an effort to decrease the number of traffic accidents. John Van Winkle, head traffic engineer for Chattanooga, says speed cameras will be in place near Hixson Pike's S curves at the end of December. Up to 16 red light cameras and two mobile speed cameras will also be installed around the city. "It is focused on changing driver behavior to make our streets safer," says Winkle. Citations will be issued for violators by police at the beginning of next year, according to Van Winkle. Drivers in Jackson, Tenn., must pay a $50 fine if they are caught on the red light camera. Russ Rader at the Insurance for Highway Safety says cameras influence how drivers approach intersections. "There's a spillover effect," says Rader. "Research shows that red light cameras can reduce accidents rates across entire cities." Rader predicts the next trend will be speed cameras.
http://www.timesfreepress.com

"Nassau Steps Up Sex-Offender Watch"
Newsday (10/31/06); Bain, Brandon

Lawmakers in Nassau County, N.Y., have intensified efforts to track sex offenders. According to a recent assessment by the office of Nassau Comptroller Howard Weitzman, sex offenders equipped with global positioning system (GPS) devices were not being monitored 24 hours a day by Nassau probation officials. A $500,000 state grant secured by state Sen. Michael Balboni (R-N.Y.) has allowed officials to obtain additional technology as well as personnel to enable around-the-clock monitoring. The grant is paying for 50 new GPS devices, which are being used in a pilot initiative to monitor sex offenders for at 60 to 90 days. In addition, the grant is funding 150 polygraph tests that help officials check whether offenders are complying with probation terms. Balboni says the grant will also help the county computerize law enforcement databases by 2007 and possibly add other high-risk violent offenders to the monitoring program. The comptroller's assessment pointed to union issues and a lack of funding for overtime as likely causes for the monitoring gaps among nine high-risk sex offenders who wore GPS anklets. Now, however, overtime is being approved instantly, notes Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi. http://www.newsday.com
/news/local/longisland/ny
-ligran314954615oct31,0,7060715.story

"Patrol Given New Phone for Hostage Negotiations"
Omaha World-Herald (NE) (11/01/06) P. 9B; Nygren, Judith

The Nebraska State Patrol has obtained a new rescue phone from its northeast Nebraska district. Negotiators use throw phones to talk with people holding hostages. Each of the State Patrol's six districts in Nebraska use throw phones, but not all of the devices are equipped with new technology. The new phone is valued at $5,600. Nebraska State Patrol Officers also use headsets, command speakers, tape records, a length of armored cable, and other equipment for hostage negotiations.
http://www.omaha.com

"Electronic Monitoring Now Includes Sweat Sniffers, Screeching Black Boxes"
USA Today (11/06/06) P. 8A; Heath, Brad

Across the country, courts are ordering violators to use a variety of tools that monitor their behavior. A Michigan court, for example, has instructed 39 traffic scofflaws to have black boxes installed in their car that issue alarms when they brake too suddenly or turn too quickly. The number of total alarms are recorded for probation officers. Prosecutors and courts in 40 states have instructed drunk drivers to wear ankle bracelets that hourly check offenders' sweat for alcohol content; results are relayed to officials daily via the Internet. Approximately 4,000 people are now being tracked this way, says Kathleen Brown with manufacturer Alcohol Monitoring Systems. "We're doing it to people who have demonstrated pretty convincingly that they are a safety risk for the rest of us," says South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long. As a result, very few have complained that these tools invade people's privacy, says Marc Mauer of The Sentencing Project, which promotes options to imprisonment. He adds that monitoring needs to be coupled with counseling or other efforts to ensure that deficient behavior does not resurface once the device is removed. The most rapidly growing tool is location monitoring, especially for sex offenders; as of 2006, at least 20 states require the tracking of some or all offenders by satellite.
http://www.usatoday.com

"Sheriff Lists Sex Offenders Online"
Wilmington Star News (10/31/06) P. 1B; Little, Ken

The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office introduced a new computer program that allows local residents to search for the location of registered sex offenders via its Web site. Residents input an address that provides them with the addresses and names of registered sex offenders within a mile of the area. The "Offender Watch" program also shows a map of the searched area and a link to access more specific information, such as the offender's photograph and the crime that the person was convicted for. Sheriff Sid Causey notes that the Sheriff's Office has appointed a detective to verify the locations of offenders because some move without notifying law enforcement. Causey says the program's initial cost is $7,500, but requires $7,000 each year to continue operating. Offender Watch is part of the larger "Community Oriented Sex Offender Registration and Notification Program" that is employed by roughly 200 law enforcement agencies nationwide. Causey says New Hanover County is likely only the third county in North Carolina to launch the program.
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com

"ShotSpotter Technology Helps Police Locate Source of Gunfire"
Associated Press (10/31/06); Curtis, Kim

The Santa Clara, Calif., firm ShotSpotter recently placed microphones in high-crime regions in around 12 U.S. cities that locate gunfire and contact police dispatchers. Advocates claim the system can do away with the inconsistency that occurs when people report hearing of gunshots. The Oakland, Calif., Police Department, which implemented 100 such devices in October covering around a half-dozen square miles in high-crime neighborhoods, enacted its system right away. On Oct. 28, ShotSpotter was first to inform police about a man in an automobile firing an assault rifle at several individuals in East Oakland. The recording of the gunfire lasts for several seconds and portrays the firing of 20 or more rounds, Sgt. Phil Green explained. ShotSpotter depends on a computer to determine the position of the shooter by triangulation, utilizing the slight variance in time the shots were heard by every listening station. It can send police to within 40 feet of where shots occurred, ShotSpotter claims; in addition, it can tell the difference between gunfire and other similar-sounding noises such as fireworks and backfiring cars, ShotSpotter's Gregg Rowland states. The systems cost between $100,000 and $2 million. http://www.mercurynews.com
/mld/mercurynews/news/loca
l/states/california/northern_c
alifornia/15887948.htm

"Kansas Inventor Develops Alert System"
US Fed News (10/30/06)

Michael W. Bulmer has created technology that allows law enforcement and other agencies to transmit messages using televised broadcast, Internet transmission, or satellite signals. Agencies can use the technology to issue alerts to the community about emergencies or provide important information about a crime. The technology sends the alerts to a central server system that then develops the broadcast messages.
http://www.htsyndication.com

"Feds Target Terrorist Recruiting in Prisons"
USA Today (11/07/06) P. 1A; Hall, Mimi

The federal government is taking steps to prevent extremist Muslim clerics from recruiting members of the U.S. prison population to become terrorists. Prisons in dozens of states are working with the U.S. government on the effort, which includes steps to improve monitoring, training, and awareness, the FBI said. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have asked prison officials to conduct thorough background checks on prison workers and volunteers who visit with prisoners. The FBI and DHS are also asking state prison systems to increase the number of informants and intelligence units they use. "It's a concern because we know that violent extremist groups will target people in prisons," said Donald Van Duyn, counterterrorism director for the FBI. Information sharing among prisons and local agents must also be improved, the FBI said, declining to say whether it has undercover agents working in the prison system. Federal officials also would like to see more prison employees trained to identify the tell-tell signs that prisoners are being recruited for terrorism.
http://www.usatoday.com
/news/nation/2006-11-06-terror-prisons_x.htm

"Leveraging Advanced Technology to Protect Our Children from Sexual Predators"
Sheriff (10/06) Vol. 58, No. 5, P. 14; Willox, Norm

When the U.S. Justice Department created the National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR) last year, it was seen as an important step toward creating an effective way to collect and disseminate information on registered sex offenders that require public notification on a national basis. However, the goal of obtaining and maintaining more comprehensive and accurate data on the location of high-risk sex offenders and the ability for law enforcement to share that information with jurisdictions across the country remains unmet, leaving state and local law enforcement officials at a disadvantage. Existing sex offender registries make use of self-reported information, and without independent verification of address data, many repeat sex offenders take advantage of this and effectively "disappear." In addition, important information from public records that can play a crucial role in quickly locating sexual predators--such as known aliases, relatives, and associated addresses--are not contained in state sex offender registries. As a result, some law enforcement agencies are turning to advanced sex offender search technology, which combines the ability to link information from public records with state and law enforcement data sets. Advanced sex offender search technology also allows law enforcement to identify leads that would usually take days to uncover using traditional investigative methods, share important sex offender information across jurisdictions, and receive investigative alerts that let them know when a known sex offender relocates to their jurisdiction. The ability of this technology to provide law enforcement agencies with relevant and timely information about the whereabouts of sex offenders has been repeatedly proven in the field. For example, the Pinellas County, Fla. Sheriff's Office recently used an advanced investigative solution provided by LexisNexis to locate an absconded sexual offender who was residing at an associate's address--a location that would not have been identified through a state registry.
http://www.sheriffs.org

"Tallahassee Cops Stay in Touch"
Governing (10/06) Vol. 20, No. 1, P. 66; Kleba, Heather

The Tallahassee Police Department in Florida is issuing cell phones to officers as a means of enhancing communications with both dispatchers and the community. The cell phones can be used in areas not accessible by radio, and the phone numbers can also be given to victims to bypass 911 if a suspect returns or to call with additional information. They are also helpful if stranded motorists need to call for help. The $24-per-month cell phones have already been given to 190 officers.
http://66.23.131.98/archive/2006/oct/manbrfs.txt

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