Public Safety Technology in the News May 1, 2008

IACP Issues Red Light Camera Systems Specifications
The Police Chief, (02/2008)

A performance standard has been created to help law enforcement agencies choose a red light camera system. Because of the increase in the number of agencies using red light cameras, the Enforcement Technologies Advisory Technical Subcommittee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Highway Safety Committee created a performance standard. The protocols and specifications laid out in the standard are meant to bolster the confidence of agencies, citizens, and courts in the precision and consistency of the camera systems. To obtain the standard, Red Light Camera Systems Minimum Performance Specifications, visit the IACP website www.theiacp.org/profassist/redlight.htm. IACP also maintains a conforming product list that lists systems that have been tested and found to comply with the specifications. www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=1423&issue_id=22008

License Plate Recognition Systems Extend the Reach of Patrol Officers
Government Technology, (04/09/2008), Jim McKay

In an area like the United Kingdom, where the number of cameras used for public safety surveillance has grown to more than 4 million and estimates are that citizens get their images captured more than 300 times in a day, license plate recognitions technology is a common tool for law enforcement. Initially, use in the United States was limited to toll plazas on the EZ Pass lanes to capture the license plates of motorists going through the lanes without the required RF transponder equipment. License plate recognition systems are now beginning to take hold in the United States for other purposes, and law enforcement agencies are seeing positive results. Of the 1,800 law enforcement agencies nationwide, 400 have at least one system, and because of the positive results and a drop in prices, more agencies will be able to purchase the technology. www.govtech.com/gt/articles/282014

Met Police Officers to be 'Microchipped' by Top Brass in Big Brother Style Tracking Scheme
The Daily Mail, (04/10/2008)

Met Police will replace the ailing Airwave radio system with a microchip system that will aid in the tracking and movement of the 31,000 officer force. The device, identified as Automated Personal Locations System (APLS) and provided by Telent, will allow dispatchers at the agency's operations center to identify officer locations, whether above or below ground, at any time during the officer's shift. Administrators indicate that the switch to this type of tracking is to improve officer safety and to help the agency be more efficient in responding to incidents. According to Telent, the system will be one of the largest globally, covering approximately 620 miles. www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=558597&in_page_id=1770

Bethlehem Is Ready to Implement Video System in Crime Areas
The Morning Call, (04/08/2008), Pamela Leham

A video showing three teens robbing a drunken man at 3 a.m. led to the teens being caught and prosecuted for the crime. Results like these have prompted the Bethlehem (Pennsylvania) police to acquire six pole-mounted camera systems for use throughout the city for special events and emergency situations. Mayor John Callahan believes these cameras are equal to a 24/7 police presence where the police officer has "a photographic memory" that can be admitted as evidence in court. Allentown, near Bethlehem, has 20 cameras and wants to increase the amount to 80, while Easton Housing Authority hopes to implement video surveillance for use with its Weed and Seed project. www.mcall.com/news/local/all-b1_4camera-r.6349385apr08,0,5186533.story

Ready for Your (Driving) Closeup?
Los Angeles Times, (04/14/2008), Steve Hymon

States like Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington have implemented the use of radar-activated speed enforcement cameras to catch speeders on highways. Now the Beverly Hills Police Department is again attempting to push for legislation that will allow the use of such cameras in California. Officials have been trying since 2006 with no luck, but the growing list of States using the technology may indicate that opposition is decreasing. For the Beverly Hills Police Department, the issue is that police patrol the busy areas and drivers take short cuts through residential areas at high rates of speed. Scottsdale (Arizona) has this problem and instituted the use of cameras, which resulted in a 9 mph decrease in speed. The legislation being pushed in California would implement a pilot mobile unit that could be used in school zones and residential areas where the posted limit is 25 mph. Also, with this pilot project motorists would be provided with ample signage ind! icating the camera system was in use. This past January, the Governors Highway Safety Association indicated that because budget cuts have reduced the number of officers available for speed enforcement, more cameras are needed to aid agencies. www.latimes.com/classified/automotive/highway1/la-me-speedcam14apr14,0,2295257.story

3-D Images - Cordless and Any Time
ScienceDaily, (04/21/2008)

The ability of law enforcement to capture 3-D evidence soon will no longer rely on plaster casts of impressions left at the scene; instead they will be able to rely on a new 3-D device that captures images rapidly. The device is compact and easy to use in any situation because it runs on batteries and requires no direct wiring. Instead it relies on a wireless local area network to transmit images to laptops at the scene. The system, developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF, uses two cameras and a projector that emits a pattern of stripes across the area. The geometry of the space can be inferred from the warp of the stripes. This type of technology is already available, but not in this compact configuration. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416114413.htm

USFA Highlights Lessons Learned From Minnesota Bridge Collapse
FireRescue1 News, (04/21/2008), Cristi Laquer

The development and release of a report about the August 2007 bridge collapse in Minnesota by the U.S. Fire Administration highlighted the high value of interoperability training. The report established both positive and negative aspects of the incident in an attempt to aid other departments that might face similar issues. The bridge collapse created multiple conditions that had to be considered by first responders, such as victims' locations, possible secondary collapse, and hazmat conditions, along with physical and jurisdictional restrictions. In spite of all of these difficulties, the multiple departments and agencies, as well as civilian support staff, responding to the event were able to effectively and efficiently overcome those obstacles because of joint training and well-developed working relationships. Problems cited in the report include that separate command posts were established, a unified command post was not established until late in the event, a safety of! ficer was not "formally" appointed, and the small size of the Emergency Operations Center. For the full report go to www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr_166.pdf. www.firerescue1.com/communications-interoperability/articles/397765-USFA-reports-lessons-learned-from-Minn-bridge-collapse/

Disaster Drill Simulates 'Dirty Bomb' Attack on Long Island
Staton Island Live, (04/26/2008), AP

In an attempt to ascertain the capabilities of authorities to respond to a radioactive event, more than 600 emergency responders participated in a simulated detonation of a "dirty bomb" by a biker gang in a Federal courthouse. The event was staged at the Yaphank fire academy over several days and involved staff from 60 agencies and 10 hospitals, with 100 people "injured" or "killed" in the fake event. Funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security through a grant to Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency services, it was called the largest emergency simulation ever for Suffolk County. www.silive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-33/1209234258166600.xml&storylist=simetro

Airport Security From Chaos
ScienceDaily, (04/21/2008)

Random numbers present safety and security, according to a research project from the University of Southern California funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Software is used to capture information relating to routine, random vehicle, and canine searches conducted at an airport. Law enforcement officers input data relating to possible terrorist targets and their importance either daily or based on security violations or suspicious activity. Using mathematical algorithms, the software is able to calculate the chances for attacks on that particular airport and generate a random model for police to use in determining where to go and when. Because of the random nature of the model generated for police security, there is no pattern for terrorists to watch for and take advantage of in planning an attack. The Assistant for Randomized Monitoring and Routes (ARMOR) system has been tested for 6 months at Los Angeles International Airport and has been given the thumbs u! p to be used on a more permanent basis by airport officials. Even in the event terrorists were to acquire ARMOR, the likelihood of them being able to match the random monitoring of law enforcement is very low. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416161215.htm