NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary

Thursday, January 11, 2007

"Recognizing Odd Behavior"
Baltimore Sun (01/05/07); Roylance, Frank D.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and other facilities across the country are developing behavior recognition software that, in conjunction with video surveillance systems, alerts authorities to suspicious behaviors. This research has applications in security, anti-terrorism, and surveillance, among other sectors, and the Homeland Security Department and Pentagon have taken notice. The software developed by Johns Hopkins allowed authorities to arrest robbery suspects during an armed robbery that occurred near the campus of Johns Hopkins in June 2006. During the incident, the Hopkins software singled out an image from one of the campus's 89 security cameras; the software highlighted the image because it recognized that one of the suspects was engaging in suspicious behavior on the street, with aberrant movements. The security system automatically alerted an on-duty security guard, placing the image of the suspect on the security guard's computer screen, allowing the security guard to zoom in on the image and record a license plate number.
http://www.baltimoresun.com
/news/health/bal-hs.gait05jan
05,0,1884420.story?coll=bal-health-headlines

"Study Will Examine Cops' Gun Training"
New York Daily News (01/05/07) P. 8; Naspretto, Ernie; Gendar, Alison

The Rand consulting firm will evaluate how the New York Police Department (NYPD) trains officers in using firearms. Rand will assess the Police Academy's initial weapons training, the yearly re-qualification training, in-service training, and the department's shooting review process. The $500,000 study, being funded by the Police Foundation, will last six months, and will not specifically examine the controversial November shooting of Sean Bell. However, the report will utilize any data found by a Queens, N.Y., grand jury responsible for investigating the incident, according to NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly. The NYPD's training offerings consist of such things as video simulations, physical firings, and paint-ball guns. In addition, scenarios are used to train officers about using their weapons. Jack Riley, acting director of the Rand Center on Quality Policing, says Rand will also examine if the psychology involved in the training scenarios is appropriate.
http://www.nydailynews.com
/front/story/485905p-408971c.html

"Do We Really Need a New Huber Jail?"
Madison Capital Times (WI) (01/05/07) P. A1; Novak, Bill

A couple of Madison, Wis., County Board members are challenging the need to construct a proposed work-release prison, contending that with existing prisoner monitoring technology, buildings for overnight jailing could be a thing of the past. The proposed building would replace a work-release prison close to the Alliant Energy Center, and would include as well an alcohol and drug treatment facility. It is predicted to cost $34 million to $38 million. New positioning technology could allow county jailers to have more control of minimum-security prisoners than they now have, since under the present set-up prisoners are sent into the community daily without supervision, with the agreement they will come back to the facility at night. Sometimes the inmates do not come back when they are supposed to, and county law enforcement authorities have to search for them. "With new technology, such as GPS tracking and electronic bracelets, we can be absolutely pinpoint accurate where the inmates are at all times," notes County Board Supervisor Dennis O'Loughlin, who along with Chairman Scott McDonell is protesting the new facility.
http://www.madison.com/tct
/news/index.php?ntid=113777&ntpid=1

"Stun-Gun Use Deemed Reasonable"
Monterey County Herald (CA) (01/03/07); Reynolds, Julia

A Monterey County grand jury has ruled that Taser guns are a sensible weapon for law enforcement, but recommends the use of new video technology in conjunction with it. In a report, the grand jury concluded that Taser stun guns are "an effective and reasonable non-lethal" tool for police officers, but would be more effective if paired with new video technology called "Taser Cam." Only one of the county's 12 law enforcement agencies use the technology. According to the grand jury report, Tasers have been used in Monterey for the last three years; however, a rash of wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against the county and stun gun manufacturers in protest of how police officers use Tasers in the line of duty. The deaths and suits led to the grand jury investigation, which found that each of the 12 county agencies that use Tasers provide sufficient training to officers and have policies in place to ensure proper use of the weapons.
http://www.montereyherald.com
/mld/montereyherald/news/16372666.htm

"Computers for Police in Largo Long Overdue"
St. Petersburg Times (FL) (01/05/07) P. 2

After waiting years to get in-car computers for police cruisers, the Largo Police Department in Pinellas County, Fla., finally saw 90 vehicles equipped with computers approximately a week before Christmas. The $3.5 million system performs a number of functions for officers, such as tracking the location of all on-duty officers. They can also monitor what types of incidents are occurring across the city by observing the computer screen. Officers also have instant access to the criminal records, driving records, and outstanding warrants of individuals, and can determine if a vehicle was stolen by inputting the license plate number. Previously, officers had to wait for dispatchers to handle their requests for such data. Funding for the system was originally allocated by city managers and the City Commission in 2004 after Chief Lester Aradi made a special, direct request to commissioners.
http://www.sptimes.com
/2007/01/05/Northpinella
s/Computers_for_police_.shtml

"Proposal Expands DNA Use by Police"
Charleston Post and Courier (01/03/07) P. A1; Wenger, Yvonne M.

State lawmakers in South Carolina are weighing legislation that would allow police officers to obtain DNA samples from anyone arrested for any crime, regardless of the severity of the crime. Under the measure, law enforcement officials would be permitted to take samples before the felon is tried for the crime. The proposal is being sharply criticized by some civil rights advocates, who complain that the measure exceeds legal boundaries. But supporters of the measure counter that the bill does not withhold due process to arrestees, arguing that in restricting access to the databank and requiring the destruction of samples if charges are dropped, the measure makes sure that the civil rights and personal privacy of suspects are preserved. "It is no more invasive than fingerprinting", says Senate Pro Tem Glenn McConnell. "I see a tremendous amount of benefit for the law-abiding public." South Carolina already has a DNA databank; however, if passed, the bill would be the strictest DNA sampling protocol in the country.
http://www.charleston.net
/assets/webPages/departm
ental/news/Stories.aspx?section=loc
alnews&tableId=124943&pubDate=1/3/2007

"Britons to Be Scanned for FBI Database"
Guardian Unlimited (UK) (01/07/07); Harris, Paul; Doward, Jamie; Gallagher, Paul

The Department of Homeland Security plans to begin testing new airport technology that will scan all ten fingertips of passengers in a bid to make the data compatible with the FBI database. Currently, just two fingerprints are scanned. The new policy will apply equally to countries on friendly and unfriendly terms with the United States. Travelers from Briton and other E.U. nations as well as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand will be affected. Testing will begin this summer at 10 airports before being implemented across the United States by the end of 2008. Fingerprinting is a major component of the federal government's anti-terrorism efforts. "A fingerprint that is left ... in the training camp or in the safe house is, in fact, a powerful tool," says Homeland chief Michael Chertoff. "'We will have a world in which any terrorist who has ever been in a safe house or has ever been in a training camp is going to ask himself or herself this question: have I ever left a fingerprint anywhere?"
http://www.guardian.co.uk
/usa/story/0,,1984649,00.html

"Prisons Need More Funds, Report Says"
Monterey County Herald (CA) (01/03/07); Reynolds, Julia

In Monterey County, Calif., prisons and jails have reached a problematic degree of overcrowding and will require an infusion of funds to meet "projected county jail incarceration needs," says a local grand jury report. The report recommends jail staff "enhance communications" with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to more expediently process and deport detained illegal immigrants. The report also recommends that video and audio surveillance equipment be purchased, new jail facilities be created, and new technology be brought in for fingerprint and iris scanning and identification. Monterey County has two state prisons which contain twice as many inmates as stipulated in their design capacity, according to the report.
http://www.montereyherald.com
/mld/montereyherald/news/16372
670.htm?source=rss&channel=montereyherald_news

"Triangle Fire-Police Radio Better Than Most"
News & Observer (01/04/07); Beckwith, Ryan Teague

During the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, New York City police officers could not warn firefighters inside the Twin Towers to evacuate because their agency radios were not standardized and interoperable to talk directly with each other. Today only six out of 75 major U.S. cities have standardized communication among various law enforcement and emergency agencies, reports the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. For instance, Johnston County, N.C., has its police and firefighters on the same radio wavelength, so to speak. However, many Raleigh, N.C., agencies--such as the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, the Raleigh police, and Orange County fire and police departments--cannot connect to statewide radio systems. These agencies around Raleigh today communicate by channeling messages through a central 911 system, which is a cumbersome process. N.C. Highway Patrol Maj. Woody Sandy says, "The problem we're trying to fix is that every day there's a fire truck, an ambulance and a law enforcement officer responding to a call and they can't talk to each other." The N.C. Highway Patrol alone needs $190 million to create a statewide communication network, and to date has amassed about $80 million in total funding for that purpose. They are exploring using a computer system to centralize communication and shrink data transport across an 800 MHz frequency. http://www.newsobserver.com
/102/story/528372.html

"BR Officials Say Report Biased"
2theAdvocate (01/04/07); Shields, Gerard

Emergency response leaders in Baton Rouge, La., have rejected the findings of a recent report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that rated the region's radio communications systems as one of the worst among 75 metropolitan areas in the country. Baton Rouge officials say that despite variances in equipment compatibility and financing, the region is making progress in achieving interoperability. For example, the local governments of eight parishes last summer tested their systems and found only a few glitches, according to participants. The exercise will help officials uncover "weaknesses and make adjustments accordingly," says Mark Smith of the Louisiana Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. But Travis Prewitt, emergency response director of East Feliciana Parish, says there is room for improvement. For instance, local police rely on 450 MHz radios, compared to the State Police's 700 MHz radios, he notes. The DHS report asserted that the Baton Rouge area lacks a strategic plan to steer interoperability targets and funding, and also relies too much on mobile phones in emergencies. On Jan. 3, DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff promised that by 2009, all 75 metropolitan areas surveyed in the report would have modern disaster communications systems in place, according to the Associated Press. http://www.2theadvocate.com
/news/5080951.html

"Control of Water Vapor and Mold Using a New Type of Epoxy Coating"
Sheriff (12/06) Vol. 58, No. 6, P. 31; Reed, Angus

Controlling moisture problems and the mold growth that results can be quite a challenge in a jail. Eliminating moisture problems often requires consultation with an experienced contractor to identify the problem and develop a plan for correcting it. Such a plan may involve coating the exterior foundation wall with waterproofing compounds and a membrane. However, water vapor exerts a great deal of pressure on anything that stands in its way of moving through material. Products such as solvent-based epoxy paints do not have enough adhesion to withstand this pressure. In addition, the difference in expansion between the wall material and the paint creates a shearing action that loosens the paint from the wall. As result, some jails are turning to water-based epoxy coatings that claim not peel off and not allow mold to grow. In a test of such a product at the Bristol County, Mass., Jail in February of 2006, no mold growth appeared on surfaces coated with the water-based epoxy. The test of the product impressed the Bristol County Sheriff's department enough to apply it in additional areas of the jails and other facilities.
http://www.sheriffs.org

"Cameras Free Police to Patrol Other Crimes"
Virginian-Pilot (01/02/07) P. B8

The editors of the Virginian-Pilot say police officers in Chesapeake, Va., as well in other areas of Virginia could stop drivers who run red lights if they employed "photo red cameras." The editors explain that state localities turned off the cameras two years ago, after Virginia lawmakers rejected renewing the law that allowed them. The editors state that currently there is a bill that will be proposed in the next legislative session that would permit localities to resurrect the cameras, and that it "deserves a vote in the full House." They add that legislators who are financially conservative, support law enforcement, and are concerned about traffic safety have even more incentive to vote to return the cameras. The editors note that since cameras are not permitted at intersections, Chesapeake police sometimes have an officer track motorists who pull into traffic intersections after the light is red and then radio ahead to a different officer who pulls the driver over. The editors point out that Chesapeake wrote over 1,500 tickets for red-light violations in 2006. The editors stress that these police officers should have the burden of this task removed from them so they can deal with other crimes. "Where the technology is available and affordable, red-light cameras are a smart option, and a cheap one," the editors conclude.
http://content.hamptonroads.com
/story.cfm?story=116921&ran=163705

"To Catch a Thief, a Police Department Puts a Video on YouTube"
InformationWeek (12/20/06); Gardner, W. David

In order to catch two men allegedly purchasing items worth hundreds of dollars at a Home Depot with a stolen credit card, the Franklin, Mass., police department posted a surveillance video of the crime on YouTube and the department's Web site. Officers hope someone will recognize the men from the video, which has been viewed almost 800 times on YouTube. Additionally, the department's site, www.franklinpolice.com, features alerts on such topics as traffic measures and winter parking bans, and the department also offers occasional podcasts and an e-mail blast system. The Franklin police serve 32,000 residents.
http://www.informationweek.com
/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=AZB
4Z0L40J5T0QSNDLPSKH0CJUN
N2JVN?articleID=196701199&queryText=gardner

"High-tech Weapon in Graffiti War"
Whittier Daily News (CA) (12/31/06); Esparza, Araceli

The Pico Rivera Sheriff's Department began using Graffiti Tracker in September to help arrest graffiti writers. The city allocates $18,000 annually to operate the system, but the sheriff's department provides $130,000 each year to have deputies operate the system. The technology allows deputies to submit photographs taken of graffiti into a large database that compares the pictures to others taken for the purpose of identifying the graffiti writer. City spokesman Bob Spencer said that the system dissuades some graffiti writers from vandalizing local structures. Violators can face as much as five years in prison. http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_4930131

"Counties Work to Hide Personal Data"
Computerworld (12/15/06); Vijayan, Jaikumar

Several counties across the nation are following in the footsteps of Florida's Orange County Comptroller's office by removing personally identifiable information from official records on their Web sites. Back in April 2005, Orange County reviewed over 30 million pages of public records, searching for Social Security numbers, credit cards numbers, and bank account information. Several counties and local governments are now blacking out personal information from documents or taking the documents off their Web sites altogether. Florida, New York, and Washington have already passed laws requiring recorders to redact personal information from online records. Public concern over personal data has still not caught the attention of several county governments, says B.J. Ostergren, a privacy advocate. A Grant County, Indiana, recorder's office removed documents from the Internet only after a lawsuit was filed related to identity theft. Travis County, Texas, pulled all document images of its Web site this past June and recently put them back online after redacting sensitive data. "The more publicity this has gotten the more people are getting to know about the issue," says Ostergren. "I think a lot of people are beginning to put the skids on this sort of issue."
http://www.computerworld.com
/action/article.do?command=vie
wArticleBasic&articleId=9006148

"Emerging Technologies: Computers Watching Over Us"
Government Technology (12/20/06); Harris, Chandler

Though it may seem Orwellian, surveillance technologies in use today are seen as tools for enhancing security rather than instruments of repression. The global video surveillance industry is valued at $160 billion, with its spectacular growth largely stimulated by homeland security initiatives after Sept. 11. About 30 million surveillance cameras are estimated to be in the United States, shooting 4 billion hours of footage every week; in cities such as New York and Chicago, these cameras are wirelessly networked. Municipalities that implement Wi-Fi networks can frequently use the infrastructure to substantially lower urban camera deployment costs, and police and emergency responders are going to rely on mobile video capabilities more and more. The problem of staffing the feeds from an astronomical number of cameras may be addressed by video analytics software, which tracks live feeds, locates video images that meet specified criteria, and alerts the appropriate authorities. The technology has carried the most benefits for security systems thanks to its ability to identify problems and notify the correct security staff. Frost and Sullivan's "Video Analytics: The Ground Reality" report estimates that federal and state governments comprise more than 50 percent of the video analytics market, while the second biggest video analytics software market is the retail, banking, and gaming industries. Frost and Sullivan analyst Dilip Sarangan says the parties expressing the most interest in video analytics are government agencies looking for something that can recognize license plates and faces, although the technology needs to be more reliable in natural settings and better able to identify constantly moving objects; the cost of video camera upgrades is another impediment to the wide adoption of video analytics technology. http://www.govtech.net
/digitalcommunities/story.php?id=102986

"Personal Defense Weapons: Considerations on Their Potential Role"
Police and Security News (12/06) Vol. 22, No. 6, P. 43; Ijames, Steve

Well-armed criminals and the potential for further terrorist attacks on U.S. soil necessitates a switch to higher-powered and more accurate weapons for U.S. law enforcement personnel. Highlighted are three such personal defense ultracompact shoulder weapons. The M16 AR15 Ultracompact is used by the U.S. military and numerous U.S. police agencies but is lacking when it comes to reliability of mechanical function and terminal ballistic performance due to its supershort barrel. The Remington 870P Sage International Compact model, though not the most accurate weapon of the group, offers unparalleled stopping power. The semiautomatic FN PS90-SBR offers ease of handling and near zero recoil and is a very short nonpistol caliber shoulder weapon. http://www.policeandsecuritynews.com

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice leadership; and, police and military writers who have become authors of books.