Law Enforcement/Corrections Technology News Summary

NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, March 22, 2007

"A.J. Police Going More High-Tech"
East Valley Tribune (AZ) (03/18/07); Redhage, Jill

A pair of new devices became operational on March 2 that will enable Apache Junction, Ariz., patrol officers to perform their jobs better. LiveScan allows electronic finger- and handprinting to be done, while Mug Shot Interface permits police to obtain, retain, and get mug shots, fingerprints, pictures of scars and tattoos, and additional information. The databases' information can be accessed by police officers and the court system. Police representative Jay Swart lauded Chief Glenn Walp's "great leadership" and technology focus in obtaining the new devices; in addition, Swart stated that Walp is responsible for the department's employment of CompStat, a computer information program installed a couple of months ago that handles statistics so police can locate trends and figure out crimes. The acquisition of LiveScan and Mug Shot Interface was paid for by a grant to Apache Junction from the Gild River Indian Community State-Shared Revenue Program. The technologies will assist police in keeping the correct suspects in custody, while the central databases will help police connect suspects to other crimes they have done. Since the technologies heighten accuracy in finding suspects, fewer innocent individuals will be kept in custody or sent to prison. Police added that the new technologies will reduce paperwork, meaning officers will have additional time to patrol the streets.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/86059

"Cameras Help Keep an Eye on Watts Complex"
Los Angeles Times (03/17/07) P. B4; Helfand, Duke

On March 16, city leaders in Los Angeles praised the implementation of seven surveillance cameras at the Jordan Downs housing project, noting the state-of-the-art equipment had already played a part in making the Watts complex more secure. The cameras, erected on utility polls, send images to three police stations in the region, permitting officers to keep continuous tabs on activity and respond more rapidly to events, according to police. Numerous other cameras will be set up on adjacent 103rd Street. Police stated the cameras were partly the reason for a decline in crime since the start of the year, although community leaders credited the drop to additional arrests and the creation of a citizens gang task force that has adopted a strong position against crime. The cameras have received varied reactions since they started appearing during the past year, with certain activists claiming the equipment breaches their privacy and others wondering whether the cameras prevent outsiders from carrying out crimes. Financing for the Jordan Downs crime-combating initiative comes from several sources, including the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Motorola.
http://www.latimes.com/news
/printedition/california/la-me-l
ights17mar17,1,955805.story?co
ll=la-headlines-pe-california

"Ohio Hoping to Link All Courts on One Web Site"
Cleveland Plain Dealer (03/18/07); Fields, Reginald

Supporters of the Ohio Courts Network project hope to create a Web site that would contain documents from all 385 courts in the state, including city courts. This would let judges and attorneys know about the offenses of every criminal in the state regardless of whether the criminal moves to another county, says Chris Davey, representative for Chief Justice Thomas Moyer. The Ohio Supreme Court hopes to launch such a site within two years, but many issues would need to be resolved, such as the financial cost to communities, privacy, and what data must be supplied to the network. Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has allocated $10.5 million for the project in his proposed state budget, but that figure might change in the wake of future legislative decisions. The network would ideally allow courts to find information effortlessly on every criminal and civil case from all 88 counties in Ohio, and the public might have limited access as well. Robert Stuart, the Ohio Supreme Court's director of information technology, says the Supreme Court would use its funds to appoint a vendor that would assist it in establishing the Web site within three months. After that, pilot projects would be deployed involving approximately 15 to 20 courts from across Ohio as well as other agencies such as the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. "I think it makes perfect sense to do it, but I think there will be a lot of issues to figure out because every one of us has a different case management system," says chief deputy of the Cuyahoga County clerk of courts Keith Hurley.
http://www.cleveland.com/news
/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/
1174208271212470.xml&coll=2

"Nothing But Net"
Monterey County Herald (03/16/07); Katsnelson, Alla

The police department in Greenfield, Calif., recently acquired two Super Talon NetGuns. The Talons shoot a 16-foot nylon net over 25 to 30 feet to entangle and immobilize a person. The net guns cost $678 each and require little training, according to police Chief Joe Grebmeier. Grebmeier said the Talons will not replace Tasers, which are carried by all Greenfield police, or other "less-lethal" weapons, but are part of an effort to adapt new technology to make officers safer and more productive. Grebmeier said the net guns will be carried by Greenfield's two sergeants in their cars, and will most likely be used when a perpetrator is running away.
http://www.montereyherald.com
/mld/montereyherald/living/com
munity/16918876.htm

"Pretty Soon, Prison Web Site Will Help You Locate Prisoners"
Charleston Daily Mail (WV) (03/16/07) P. 1A; Anderson, Justin D.

The West Virginia Division of Corrections has given the Dream Catcher computer company, based in Charleston, W.Va., a contract to overhaul the Web sites for the state's prisons. The new Web sites will look better and be easier to use, as well as allow users to access information on inmates, including mug shots, times and statuses of incarcerations, where the inmate is held, and the nature of the criminal charges. Commissioner Jim Rubenstein said he believes the state should post more information than inmate location and crime, and that officials are also asking various corrections departments what they would like to see improve on the site. Rubenstein said the project will cost between $50,000 and $75,000, but for what he wants to see on the site the final bill will probably be closer to $75,000. Dream Catcher will charge the state $75 an hour to work on the Web site, which should be completed by May 31.
http://www.dailymail.com
/story/News/+/2007031644/Prison
+Web+site+to+add+inmate+locator,+increase+usability

"State Attorney General Touts Online Sex Offender Updates"
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (03/16/07) P. C1; Slutsky, Abby

Allen County, Ind., currently has 520 sex offenders, and many citizens know they can go online to check offenders' residences. But citizens can also get email updates sent to them to inform them if a sex offender has moved nearby. The state's attorney general's office launched the Criminal Alert Network nearly a year ago, and since then, the Web site has sent out more than more than 100,000 email notifications to more than 5,000 subscribers, according to Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter. The network can also alert residents to whether a sex offender is employed nearby, he said recently at the City-County Building in Fort Wayne. To get the email notifications, a person needs to register their data at http://www.insor.org, said Carter. The state pays $12,000 annually to run the Web site, which Carter said is money well spent if even one crime is prevented by the site. Users of the system can also view a map of a particular area, including markers that indicate the residence or workplace of an offender. By placing a mouse pointer on the indicators, users can see a list of offenders at a particular address. The alerts are important because offenders' addresses change on a daily basis, said Cpl. Jeff Shimkus at the Allen County Sheriff's Department.
http://www.fortwayne.com
/mld/fortwayne/news/local/16916845.htm

"Paterson Will Add 30 Street Cameras"
Herald News (Passaic County, NJ) (03/15/07) P. C12; Feeney, Michael J.

An $875,110 request for surveillance cameras by Paterson, N.J.'s Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) Authority has been approved by the state. The money will be spent on buying and setting up the cameras, which "are going to be strategically placed within the Urban Enterprise Zone boundaries," UEZ director Jay Northrop said. Currently, 32 percent of the city has been identified as a zone, which indicates an area or business district that is under economic distress. Paterson already has 12 wireless outdoor cameras in areas with high crime that are within a mile of police headquarters. Law enforcement leaders forecast the cameras will help reduce crime as well as wrongful dumping. "We have dumping problems, and now we're going to have the evidence," says Lt. Anthony Traina with the Paterson Police Department. Officials expect the cameras will be functioning as early as Memorial Day weekend.
http://www.northjersey.com
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"A View of Ripon Surveillance"
Merced Sun-Star (CA) (03/14/07) P. 1; Jason, Scott

Livingston, Calif., Police Chief Bill Eldridge, along with the city's mayor, Gurpal Samra and Councilman Rodrigo Espinoza, visited nearby Ripon, Calif., on March 9 to learn about that city's wireless surveillance system. The system includes egg-size digital cameras and microphones mounted on Ripon's library, on street corners, above Highway 99, and in businesses that purchase the technology and connect with the police department. Ripon Police Department Chief Richard Bull has partially credited the system to holding crime steady in the 11,000-person city. Eldridge is hoping that a similar system will do the same in Livingston. Officials in Livingston are waiting on a proposal to install the system, which will likely be brought before the City Council for a vote within the next two months. If the Livingston City Council approves the installation of the wireless surveillance system, it will likely draw the criticism of the ACLU, which has said the cameras are an invasion of privacy and ineffective in reducing crime. http://www.mercedsunstar.com
/local/story/13370230p-13991310c.html

"Geospatial Data Sharing Comes of Age on Web"
Government Computer News (03/05/07); Wait, Patience

Geospatial data sets need baseline standards to guarantee interoperability, and such standards were publicly issued by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in February. Director of the NGA's National Center for Geospatial Intelligence Standards (NCGIS) Mark DeMulder explained that standards for the entry, processing, and transmission of data, along with management of architectural issues, are necessitated by the many diverse interests embodied in the geospatial community, whose members include state and county government agencies that aggregate geospatial information, the 16 federal intelligence agencies, and law enforcement entities. NCGIS' role in developing the new standards is supplemented by compliance testing to ensure the reality of interoperability. The release of the standards was an affirmation of society's establishment of order on the physical world in terms of data via the formal intersection of global positioning systems, geographic information systems, remote sensing devices, and the Internet. The majority of the new standards address Web-enabled data, although DeMulder noted that they have yet to define the geospatial information domain. "The baseline connotation [means] this is the minimum we need for our service-oriented architecture," he explained. "There is one in the wings, a family of standards related to the portrayal of symbology, map symbols ... We're standardizing on graphic representations so that someone from DHS and someone from NGA and a state emergency response person, if they're looking at the same information, they can instantly recognize it."
http://www.gcn.com
/print/26_05/43219-1.html

"With Police Camera, It's Smile and Say 'Fees'"
Cleveland Plain Dealer (03/13/07) P. B1; Albrecht, Brian

In an effort to recover more parking-ticket fines and penalties, the Cleveland Police Department has begun using a system that scans license plates and checks them against a database of unpaid parking tickets. The system, called AutoVu Mobile, is being used to target drivers who owe more than $250 in unpaid fines and penalties and who had been notified twice about the debt. The use of the system has resulted in 57 cars being towed and $29,000 in penalties collected from October through February, according to George Yarborough of Cleveland Municipal Court. Other cities have also been using AutoVu to increase collection of parking fines. Sacramento, Calif.'s collection rate of parking tickets went from between 77 percent and 78 percent before AutoVu was used to "well over 80 percent" now, said Howard Chan, the city's parking services manager. In addition, the system has aided in the recovery of 50 stolen vehicles, he said. http://www.cleveland.com
/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf
?/base/cuyahoga/117377508
8225460.xml&coll=2

"Cameras Monitor Streets for Paterson Police"
Herald News (Passaic County, NJ) (03/13/07) P. B03; Feeney, Michael J.

Police Director Michael Walker said Paterson, N.J., may soon be adding more surveillance cameras to supplement the 12 wireless outdoor cameras that already operate in high-crime areas within a mile of the Police Department. Police officials recently met with the Urban Enterprise Zone Authority, which works to revitalize urban areas, and officials are expecting to receive nearly $1 million to install 30 new cameras to expand the surveillance program. The original 12 cameras were installed in June 2006 and January 2007, and have already helped in several investigations, including a homicide arrest. The cameras can easily be moved to different locations, and are watched around the clock by an officer. Each camera pans on a timed sequence, produces high-quality video, and allows police to zoom in on a street fight or a license plate. Walker likens the system to having one officer walking 12 beats. The cameras can view several blocks, and can be moved to a new location within two hours.
http://www.northjersey.com
/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnF
lZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MDkyODEw

"Last Seen"
Saint Paul Pioneer Press (03/13/07) P. 1A; Rosario, Ruben

There are at least 100,000 sex offenders in the United States who are required to notify law enforcement when they change their address but have failed to do so. Until recently, it has been difficult for law enforcement agencies--many of which have 10 or fewer officers--to find these sex offenders, due to the fact that conducting manhunts drains their resources and manpower. But thanks to a law passed by Congress last year, there is now a federal agency comprised of data mining analysts that tracks fugitive sex offenders at the national level. The sex offenders tracking unit has access to a number of resources that many small law enforcement agencies do not have, such as analysts who sophisticatedly surf the Internet, public database searches, and other techniques that may be used while criminal investigators simultaneously track credit card use, utility bill payments, or driver's license registrations. Those tools have proven to be successful in tracking down missing sex offenders. Within days of asking for help from the federal sex offenders tracking unit, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's Predatory Offender Registration and Tracking Program received packets containing information that led to the location and the arrests of Michael Hiltwein and Zachery Hielscher, two sex offenders who had been missing for at least two years.
http://www.twincities.com
/mld/twincities/news/local/16890835.htm

"Coming Soon to Video: Suspects in Northampton; County Tests System Enabling Judges to Arraign People From Home"
Allentown Morning Call (03/10/07) P. B1; Suarez, Kelly-Anne

District judges in Northampton County, Pa., gathered on March 9, to test a new webcam system that will be placed into the homes and offices of 15 judges. The webcams are part of a $140,000 initiative to make the county more technologically savvy, and will allow the judges to conduct late night court business from home, rather than having to drive in as they currently do. In Monroe County, Pa., four district judges have had their homes outfitted with videoconferencing systems, and Lehigh County officials are in the process of setting up videoconferencing for arraignments and a central booking station, that should be ready by late spring or early summer. Being able to conduct necessary, off-hours court business not only saves judges the hassle of having to drive in late at night, sometimes as many as 10 times an evening, but it also settles safety concerns for judges who live significant distances from work. http://www.mcall.com/

"Police May Get New Computer System"
Hartford Courant (03/01/07) P. B5; Kovner, Josh

The Hartford, Conn., police department today manually files police reports using typewriters, pens, paper forms, and an archaic computer system, but the local government is expected to approve a purchase of a new computer system in March 2007. The city plans to purchase a new system from Hunt Computer Design for $400,000, and the city most likely will sell bonds in March 2008 to cover the cost. Police Chief Lynn Baldoni and others have championed this change for a few years, and Baldoni hopes installation will begin this summer. The new system will enable police officers to file reports from computers in their vehicles, rather than go to booking with each suspect and fill out paperwork manually. The new system will fill out duplicate information across forms automatically, and enable police dispatchers to transmit information to squad car computers at the same time as they announce a dispatch call. Baldoni describes her department's current system as "basically pathetic."
http://www.courant.com
/news/local/mr/middletow
n/hc-midtech301.artmar01,0,7394372.story

"Pin the Tail on the Speeder"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (02/23/07); Kravitz, Derek

Missouri state legislators propose bills that would make new "tack-and-track" technology less expensive for police departments. The technology aims to corral fleeing suspects without putting nearby drivers in danger by using a GPS-tracked projectile dart to attach to and then keep tabs on the criminal's car. In Missouri, 32 of the 54 people who died in criminal-pursuit-related crashes between 2000 and 2005 were unconnected with the chase. Critics of the legislation, which now proceeds to public committee hearings, argue that the device is expensive and ineffective. With a price tag of over $1,200 per police vehicle, the St. Louis police force would pay $360,000 to outfit their fleet; Kansas city, $421,000. Eric Winebrenner, a Kansas City police captain, doubts the department pursues enough criminals for the technology to be "of good use," and other officers wonder how helpful the device becomes if a suspect leaves the car behind. Dr. Geoff Alpert, a University of South Carolina criminologist, believes the device is best suited for chases in high-density areas or highways. Recent departmental changes to policy pursuit policy include restrictions prohibiting chases unless there is little risk, or unless the crime in question is a felony; spike strips are also used to puncture car tires. http://www.stltoday.com
/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/
story/E6363CF2006E76358
625728B0007D6B0?OpenDocument

"Legal Implications for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Offenders in Corrections: Risks and Opportunities"
Sheriff (02/07) Vol. 59, No. 1, P. 11; Baker, Eileen D.

Communicating with a deaf or hard-of-hearing offender can be difficult for security officers and law enforcement officials, but current litigation establishes some best practices to ensure effective communication. A qualified interpreter, closed captioning for television and videos, inmate orientation videos with sign language, and captioning and TTY/TTD devices must be readily available. Equal access to TTY/TTD use for the offender and deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors must be provided, and extended visitation and call time must be provided for the Relay System, a national toll free service which helps people with hearing or speech difficulties place and receive calls. For offender requests to access programs, services, activities, and in case of medical emergencies a list of interpreter referral agencies should be available, along with an understanding of agency policies and fees. Housing, custody staff, and the court needs to be notified of the communication style used by the deaf or hard-of-hearing offender. Staff should be trained on the topic of deaf and hard-of-hearing Offenders in Corrections, with all staff focusing on sensitivity to the disability, developing policies and procedures, and telecommunication devices (TTY/TTD) as mandated by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Additionally, an ADA coordinator may be appointed to handle all inmate concerns specific to compliance. http://www.sheriffs.org

"What's New in Specialty Police Vehicles?"
Police and Security News (02/07) Vol. 23, No. 1, P. 23; Siuru, Bill

There are a number of new specialized vehicles available to law enforcement for use in "non-traditional applications" such as community policing or patrolling remote and rugged areas. One of those new vehicles is the Segway Personal Transporter i2 and x2 series. Both feature a technology called LeanSteer, which allows the rider to turn the vehicle by pivoting the whole assembly or "frame" in the direction they want to turn. The LeanSteer frame and handlebar tilt left and right as the body leans in the direction of desired travel. Although both series share common features such as LeanSteer, there are some differences. For instance, the i2 Police vehicle is designed specifically for the needs of police officers and security personnel, with features such as an accessory bar for mounting lights, sirens, a GPS unit, and other accessories. The x2 Police offers those features as well as low pressure tires which cushion the ride on bumpy surfaces and a continuous center rib to provide a smooth ride on paved surfaces. Another new vehicle is the T3 series, which is particularly well-suited for patrolling campuses, parking lots, airports, malls, parks, beaches, city streets, and historical sites. The vehicle features an integrated LED lighting system for the headlights, brake lights, and running lights; sirens; a lockable glove box for storage; and an optional GPS tracking system. Finally, Rhino Off-Road Industries has begun offering the "Search and Rescue" RTV for law enforcement agencies who need a vehicle for use in very rugged, off-road environments. Accessories such as equipment racks, work trailers, winches, GPS systems, emergency lights, radios, and canvas tops can be added to the vehicle for police and search work.
http://www.policeandsecuritynews.com

"Autonomous Robotics for Law Enforcement"
Law Enforcement Technology (02/07) Vol. 34, No. 2, P. 66; Weiss, Joseph

Aside from potentially armed criminals, meth labs can present officers with a multitude of dangerous situations, particularly if the lab is in a dangerous cooking mode with cyanide gas present. Automated robots, that can be given and execute and assigned task without needed to be directly controlled by an officer, may soon provide an excellent, safe way for officers to enter a suspected meth lab. Using sensors robots would be able to detect if there are any people in the lab and if they are armed or agitated, as well as test the air in the lab for the presence of hazardous materials, all autonomously, allowing the officers to maintain situational awareness. Automated robots could also be used to continuously monitor a site or even potentially protect a injured officer. A number of questions remain as to how the robot will distinguish between friendly civilians and hostile suspects, or if the robot should be equipped with any type of weaponry. Some suggest that automated robots would be used in a similar manner as a K-9, acting as an assistant to the officer but more than a remote controlled tool.
http://www.officer.com/magazines/let/