Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology

NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, April 5, 2007

"Police Test Technology to Safeguard City From Nuclear Attacks"
New York Sun (04/02/07) P. 4; Faherty, Christopher

As part of the $30 million Securing the Cities Implementation initiative, a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement in New York City will install a new technology in its subway systems capable of detecting harmful radiation present in nuclear weapons. The technology, currently in its final phase of testing, is able to differentiate between harmful radiation in nuclear weapons, and harmless radiation present in those involved in recent medical tests by identifying hazardous and innocuous isotopes. The detectors are part of a program focused on preventing nuclear weapons from entering New York City by establishing a 50-mile protective perimeter. The Department of Homeland Security selected New York to host the pilot program for the radiation detectors, which the DHS plans to install in major metropolitan areas across the country. New York City police are designing a state-of-the-art sport-utility vehicle to carry a radiation detector, allowing the city to detect nuclear weapons at bridges and tunnels.
http://www.nysun.com/article/51636

"Inmate GPS Tags Approved by Panel"
San Francisco Chronicle (03/28/07) P. B10; Yi, Matthew

A San Francisco Assembly committee passed a bill on March 27 that would mandate inmates in minimum-security prisons to wear GPS-tracking gadgets. Over 12 prisoners leave facilities in the region annually because there are not security fences surrounding the facilities' perimeters, notes Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D), who is devising the initiative. The legislation would mandate inmates in work camps to wear GPS tracking devices that would follow them if they run away. Although there is no opposition to the legislation, Matt Gray, a representative of the prison reform advocate organization Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety, testified that prior to requiring GPS devices for prisoners, a better option would be to make certain that violent criminals do not wind up in minimum-security institutions. In addition, he contended, a prisoner who really wanted to escape could just get rid of the device before running. The bill will now go to the Assembly's Appropriations Committee, where legislators will review the expenses of implementing such a program.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin
/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/28/BAGBMOT2ON1.DTL

"Sheriff Gets Grant for Infrared Device"
Memphis Commercial Appeal (TN) (03/29/07) P. DSB2; Bayne, William C.

The DeSoto County Sheriff's Department has been given a grant from the Department of Homeland Security to purchase a Thermovision Scout ZX, an infrared imaging device that makes it possible to spot a person at night or through fog or smoke. According to DeSoto County Police Chief Steve Atkinson, the device would be carried by the County Sheriff's aviation unit to help find fleeing suspects, lost persons, or those who have been trapped in an accident or explosion. Atkinson added that the device would be sent to the aviation unit after the training program is completed.
http://www.commercialappeal.com
/mca/desoto/article/0,1426,MCA_4
51_5449421,00.html

"Vehicle Will Help Save Time to Help Save Kids"
St. Petersburg Times (FL) (03/28/07) P. 1; Ingalls, Kit

The Pasco County, Fla., Sheriff's Office was scheduled to demonstrate its new Missing and Abducted Child (MAC) Team mobile command center on March 29, at the sixth yearly Public Safety Awareness Symposium in Holiday. Sgt. Brett Landsberg, who oversees the Sheriff's Office's juvenile investigation division, noted that the new office will reduce investigation time. The leading goal for detectives handling missing and abducted child calls is discovering the child alive. The Sheriff's Office devised the MAC Team to work in quick response mode--to appear at the scene within 60 minutes of finding out that a child is missing. Once on the scene, specially-instructed investigators work rapidly to lead searches, obtain evidence, and hand out information concerning the child. The new mobile command center, however, means that equipment can now be brought along to the crime scene, including computers, high-speed printers, and faxes. Detectives will also now be able to mass-produce posers and fliers at the scene. The MAC Team will connect to such agencies as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Child Abduction Response Team and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/03/
28/Pasco/Vehicle_will_help_sav.shtml

"L.A. Police Turn to a Lighter Flashlight"
Los Angeles Times (03/30/07); Blankstein, Andrew; Garvey, Megan

In 2004, a Los Angeles Police Department officer struck an evading car-theft suspect 11 times with his 2-pound, 2-foot-long flashlight. In the aftermath of that incident, which garnered worldwide attention, Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton banned the large, metal flashlights and promised to find a new flashlight that would eliminate the potential for misuse. In November 2005, the LAPD asked manufacturers to create a flashlight that was too small and too light to be used as a dangerous weapon, but that was able to provide the powerful illumination of a large flashlight and was extra durable. After a few months of taking bids from companies seeking to design and make the new flashlights, the LAPD selected Pelican, a Torrance, Calif,. company that is best known for making ocean diving equipment, including waterproof flashlights. The company eventually produced the 7060 LED, a mini flashlight that gives off significantly more light than even the brightest normal flashlights. The flashlight accomplishes this by using a unique technology that manipulates and strengthens the light beam by using the mirror cone reflector that surrounds an LED. The brightness of the flashlight's light and its durability impressed officers who used it in a two-month field test. "I was really impressed," said Ron Chu of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team. "It throws light far, and it also throws it wide. It's the best new flashlight I've seen in the last five years."
http://www.latimes.com/news
/nationworld/la-me-flashlight30m
ar30,1,6732160.story

"Police Expand Use of High-Tech Shot Detection System"
Washington Times (03/26/07) P. B1; Taylor, Daniel

The Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., has expanded its use of Shotspotter, a tool that helps police locate the origin of gunfire, to the 5th District in Northeast. Previously, the audio-monitoring tool was used only in the 7th District in Southeast. The devices have also been installed in the 5th and 6th police districts, so coverage could soon become citywide. "The more we expand, the more accurate it gets," according to Chief Cathy L. Lanier. The Shotspotter company, based in Santa Clara, Calif., charges roughly $200,000 to place sufficient devices to monitor a square mile; the system in the District is being funded and jointly overseen by the FBI's Washington Field Office. The devices are similar in size to coffee cans and rely on a triangulation technology to communicate with other adjacent Shotspotter devices to detect the whereabouts of gunshots. The data is then transmitted to law enforcement agencies. The devices are sufficiently advanced to tell apart gunshots from other sounds such as firecrackers or a backfiring car.
http://www.washtimes.com
/metro/20070325-112049-4062r.htm

"Preston Deputies to Get New Cameras"
Dominion Post (Morgantown, WV) (03/27/07); Plum, Kathy

Deputies in Preston County, W.Va., have received state-of-the-art videocameras made possible through a $74,000 federal law enforcement grant. In addition, commissioners Vicki Cole, Craig Jennings, and Dave Price earmarked $40,000 of the county's funds for the purchase. The new digital videocameras can be mounted on a police vehicle's dashboard, replacing the AM/FM radio, while a smaller camera is mounted on the visor. The cameras send information to the computer hard drive and interface with the patrol cars' blue emergency lights, and feature a panic-button on officers' collar radios, which immediately contact 911 when initiated. All the recorded data will be entered into a server at the sheriff's department. The new system will be Windows-based and easy to use, and will be able to interface with Preston 911, which will acquire a Computer Aided Dispatch system. Through that system, when a telecommunicator brings up a phone number or an address, data will be shown concerning previous calls to the location, any outstanding warrants on the person, or additional information an officer could employ. In addition, the system will permit officers to download information daily into the laptops in every patrol car.
http://olive.dominionpost.com

"DHS Calls for Tips From First Responders"
United Press International (03/29/07)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology directorate has launched a new program called TechSolutions intended to provide new technologies to first responders by responding to their input. The program will feature an online submission process, and winning proposals will receive up to $1 million in funding. Congress has allocated $7.5 million in the budget of the directorate to support the program for 12 months. "No one understands the needs of first responders better than first responders," says Under Secretary for Science and Technology Jay M. Cohen. "Every day, hundreds of law enforcement officers, fire fighters, emergency medical services personnel, and bomb-squad members think, 'there's a better way to do this,' and we want to hear from them."
http://www.upi.com
/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?S
toryID=20070329-104332-4014r

"Contract With County Deputies Works Well for Graysville"
Birmingham News (AL) (03/28/07) Vol. 120, No. 15, P. 1W; Collins, Michelle

Graysville, Ala., authorities say they are happy with the results of a decision earlier this year to shut the city's police department and contract with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department for police protection. Mayor Doug Brewer explains the technology provided via the sheriff's department includes mobile information terminals with mapping capability in all patrol vehicles, a force of more than 500 for backup assistance, high-level instruction, and some of the most experienced police in the region. "We were losing our best officers and candidates to other cities or to the county because they had better-paying jobs," Brewer states. He adds that the county is able to have faster response times to crimes in Graysville due to the sheriff's department's countywide dispatch system. "Their mapping technology is phenomenal," Brewer says. "We have a brand-new fleet of vehicles which the city could never afford. And the level of experience of their officers, many have military training, is much better than we could afford as a smaller city." Graysville has also been given five full-time deputies.
http://www.al.com/birminghamnews
/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1175
071347321170.xml&coll=2

"Body Armor Can Be a Lifesaver for Police Officers"
Daily Advertiser (03/31/07)

A bulletproof vest is credited with saving the life of a Vermilion Parish deputy who was shot after responding to a complaint about an abandoned vehicle. The officer was hit once in the chest but sustained only minor injuries because he was wearing a vest. Level I armor is capable of stopping long-rifle rounds, .38-caliber rounds and .22 rounds from a handgun. Level III armor can withstand rounds from NATO assault rifles, and Level IV armor can block rounds fired from up to .30-caliber weapons. Body armor has saved the lives of over 3,000 law enforcement officers, according to the National Institute of Justice. The institute also says that officers who wear body armor are 14 times less likely to suffer a fatal injury than those who do not.
http://www.theadvertiser.com
/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2
0070331/NEWS01/70331015

"50 'Eyes' on Crime in North Minneapolis"
Minneapolis Star Tribune (03/31/07); Collins, Terry

The Minneapolis City Council has approved a $1 million plan to install a safety camera system on the city's North Side. The system of 50 cameras, which will go up in June, will work in conjunction with ShotSpotter, a system of sensors that can pinpoint the location of gunshots so officers can respond more quickly. Since ShotSpotter was installed on the North Side in early March, one man was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm and police found a shooting victim within a minute of being shot. Both the camera system and the ShotSpotter technology were installed in south Minneapolis within the past year, and both have been credited with helping to reduce crime there. Crime cameras have also been successful in reducing crime in Baltimore and Chicago.
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1091052.html

"New Technology Puts Criminal on the Spot"
Allentown Morning Call (PA) (03/23/07) P. B6; Gamiz, Manuel Jr.

Police and city officials in Allentown, Pa., are considering installing the Shot Spotter gunshot detection system. The system uses audio sensors to triangulate the position of a gunshot within seconds of the gun being fired, and can even capture images of the shooter, the victim, accomplices, and witnesses when hooked up to a video camera system. The detection software is capable of differentiating between a single gunshot, multiple gunshots, and other ambient noises such as a car backfiring, fireworks, and other similar sounds. When a shot has been fired, a red dot appears on a map on a computer screen. Shot Spotter executive Jack Pontious said in addition to potentially capturing the crime and the perpetrator on camera, Shot Spotter is extremely accurate and notifies police of a gunshot far faster than emergency calls, as calls are often inaccurate as to the location of the gunshot, slow to be reported, or not even reported at all. A Shot Spotter system costs $379,000, without a camera system, to cover two square miles, but any camera system can be incorporated and the detection system can be expanded depending on how much coverage the city wants. Los Angeles, Oakland, Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Glendale, Ariz., all have a Shot Spotter system in use; Boston should have a system in place soon, and York and Reading have expressed interest. Pontious said that on New Year's Eve two years ago in Gary, Ind., Shot Spotter helped police seize 44 weapons and make 19 arrest, with nine people still carrying the weapons.
http://www.mcall.com/

"Software Pinpoints Traffic Accident 'Hotspots'"
Ohio State Research News (03/19/07); Gorder, Pam Frost

Scientists at Ohio State University have developed software that can identify areas on state roadways where accidents are likely to occur. The system uses statistics concerning injuries, fatalities, and the causes of accidents to generate predictions for all roads, conditions, and times. "Everyone would love to be able to predict exactly where and when the next crash would be, but there are just too many factors involved, and too much randomness to do that," says OSU Department of Statistics' Christopher Holloman. "We can confidently make broad statements, like whether a particular piece of roadway is riskier at a particular time." The software serves as a supplement to the highway patrol officer's expertise, and has mostly confirmed what they already knew. Although it cannot tell why a certain area might be prone to a certain type of accident, the software could help the highway patrol gain insight into such questions. Holloman and his team have recently incorporated Google Earth technology into the software, which allows the system to color-code roadways so users can zoom in to see the probability of an accident in any area of the state. The software uses a 900MB database that contains details on every accident on Ohio highways between 2001-2005 and produces 50GB of output data. To customize the software for another state would cost about half of what Ohio has spent, and the effectiveness of the system would depend on the quality of the state's accident data.
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/accident.htm

"Dig Into Data Mining"
Law Enforcement Technology (03/07) Vol. 34, No. 3, P. 62; Kanable, Rebecca

Data mining, also called predictive analytics or analysis, sense making, or knowledge discovery, is based on assessing large data sets using automated approaches, explains Colleen McCue, a senior research scientist at RTI International and author of "Data Mining and Predictive Analysis," a book geared toward the enforcement community. She says data mining is feasible for all agencies because of the availability of user-friendly, commercial off-the-shelf software packages; she recommends that agencies also pool their monetary resources for data analysis. She notes that predictive analytics requires special software but other approaches are less expensive, such as link analysis tools. Steve McCraw, director of homeland security in Texas, advocates the implementation of the National Information Exchange Model for law enforcement records management systems and using an analytic overlay or filter with remote data entry to enable officers to input relevant information at the crime scene. McCue says it is crucial to know three points--what questions you want to answer, what you need to assess the information, and what you need the final product to look like. In addition, those involved in data mining need to collaborate closely with those who understand law enforcement as well as criminal behavior. Jay Albanese, graduate director of criminal justice at Virginia Commonwealth University, says the New York Police Department's CompStat, which is being used at other departments, is in essence a data mining implementation.
http://www.officer.com/magazines/let/

"Improving Public Safety Communications"
Issues in Science and Technology (02/07) Vol. 23, No. 2, P. 61; Peha, Jon M.

The lives of first responders and citizens are put at risk when public safety communications systems fail. A nationwide broadband communications network designed as an integrated infrastructure would shore up the holes in the existing public safety communications systems. And the move to digital technology, which has prompted the federal government to make plans to transfer premium spectrum--24 megahertz (MHz)--from analog TV to public safety use in 2009, is an enormous opportunity to obtain the resources that will be needed to build a national broadband network. Policymakers will have to make a concerted effort to achieve some progress on communication systems for public safety, considering the ineffectiveness of past policy that has led to a system that has failure, cost, spectrum, and capability issues. First responders should have access to multiple systems, as well as a primary system that at the very least supports mission-critical voice communications. Secondary systems to support first responders could involve cellular carriers, a nationwide commercial carrier, municipal infrastructure, ad hoc networks, and satellite networks.
http://www.nap.edu/issues

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