Public Safety Technology in the News

Sci-Fi Writers on Mission to Imagine Unimaginable
Boston.Com, (05/23/2009), David Montgomery

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has enlisted the knowledge of science fiction writers, who as a group generally have extensive knowledge of science, to work with federal and commercial research and development departments. Members of Sigma, a writers' group, provide pro bono consultant services, receiving travel expenses only. Members have addressed meetings organized by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Army and Air Force, and others. Nearly one-third of Sigma members have doctorates, such as Catherine Asaro, author of two dozen novels, who has a doctorate in physics.
www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/05/23/sci_fi_writers_on_mission_to_imagine_unimaginable/

Standard Updated for Reporting Suspicious Activity
Federal Computer Week, (05/22/2009), Ben Bain

The federal government recently announced changes to its standard for how government law enforcement organizations should report observations on potentially suspicious activities concerning terrorist activities and how this information should be shared. These changes were driven by feedback from law enforcement and others.

Suspicious activity reporting (SAR) is now defined as "observed behavior reasonably indicative of pre-operational planning related to terrorism or other criminal activity. Civil liberties advocates believed the prior definition to be too broad. Also, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE) will continue with a pilot SAR information-sharing program using state and local intelligence fusion centers. The updated standard went into effect May 21.
fcw.com/articles/2009/05/22/web-suspicious-activity-report-update.aspx

Oklahoma Enlists a Program to Identify Remains From DNA
Associated Press, (05/24/2009)

The Center for Human Identification at the University of Texas offers free DNA testing to law enforcement agencies and medical examiners on a nationwide basis. Recently, the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office began cataloging all of its unidentified remains and found 125 cases that could be sent to the center. The service is offered free of charge. A 2007 National Institute of Justice report stated there might be as many as 100,000 active missing persons cases in the country on any given day.
www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/us/25dna.html?_r=1&ref=us

Crime Stats at the Click of a Mouse
Santa Monica Daily Press, (05/20/2009), Kevin Herrera

The Santa Monica Police Department recently launched a new crime mapping system that gives citizens direct access to crime data for nearly all crimes reported within the last 90 days. The system is updated daily and may be accessed at www.santamonicapd.org/crimemapping. Users can enter an address and a specified period of time ranging from one to 90 days, and the system will create an informative map of the area. The system may be searched by crime type, with a variety of geographic options.
www.smdp.com/Articles-c-2009-05-19-59320.113116_Crime_stats_at_the_click_of_a_mouse.html

Technology Lets Troopers Stay on the Highway
WALB News 10, (05/20/2009), Jim Wallace

Starting in July, the Georgia State Patrol is implementing an in-car computer system that will allow troopers to do most of their reports and work from the road. Computer-aided dispatch systems are being installed in offices and mobile computer terminals are being added to cars to help troopers be more efficient. The new dispatch system is needed to run the in-car system, which will include a GPS component that lets dispatch know where the vehicles are located at all times. The new system is expected to improve response time, increase efficiency and make the state patrol greener by cutting down on paper use.
www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=10397733&nav=menu37_2

Police Radar for Measuring Speeding Cars Improved
Science Daily, (05/29/2009)

Down-the-road (DTR) radar used in speed enforcement and the ballistic chronograph, which measures the speed of bullets, may soon be improved as a result of research recently conducted by the Office of Law Enforcement Standards at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Researchers John Jendzurski and Nicholas Paulter examined the four common methods used and developed and published uncertainty measurement formulas for each method. The formulas will help DTR radar users clearly understand the need for proper calibration. Also, researcher Donald Larson and Paulter have developed a ballistic chronograph to measure the velocity of a fired bullet that is 20 times more precise than is common. These chronographs are used during ballistic-resistant body armor testing.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090521112824.htm


Michigan to Shutter Eight Prisons in Budget Cutbacks
Detroit News, (06/06/2009), Mark Hornbeck

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has announced plans to close three prisons and five prison camps to reduce a state budget deficit. The closures would save $120 million and help erase a $1.7 billion budget deficit, but lawmakers say the plan could put the public at risk. Approximately 4,000 prisoners who have served at least their minimum sentence will be freed and 1,000 employees would be laid off, which will have a ripple effect on communities near the prisons. Inmates still serving terms will be shifted to other facilities. Corrections officials say a decline in felony convictions, more paroles and sentence commutations and double-bunking of some maximum security inmates are driving down the need for prison space. There are currently about 1,500 empty prison beds.
www.detnews.com/article/20090606/POLITICS02/906060362/1009/rss02

Obama Administration Announces New Tactics in International Drug War
Associated Press, (06/08/2009), Tim Korte

U.S. officials are ramping up plans to combat Mexican drug cartels. More than 10,800 people have been killed in Mexico by drug violence since December 2008, despite the deployment of more than 45,000 Mexican soldiers to fight the cartels. Steps planned along the U.S.-Mexico border to detect drug smugglers include building visual shields near border-crossing points so drug cartel spotters can't alert approaching motorists about inspections; improving nonlethal weapons technology to help officers incapacitate suspects and disable motor vehicles and boats used by traffickers; reviving an interagency working group to coordinate intelligence; and using more intelligence analysts to detect drug-dealing networks.
www.star-telegram.com/279/story/1417770.html

DCF Task Force Opts Against DNA Sampling
TampaBay Online, (06/04/2009), Katie Coronado

A Florida state task force has decided not to collect DNA samples from children in state care. The task force in the Department of Children and Families rejected the proposal made by law enforcement task members, who said collecting DNA could help provide information for locating or identifying foster children. But foster care advocates spoke against the proposal, saying it was a violation of privacy. Officials said as of early June, 309 foster children were missing in the state.
www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jun/04/dcf-task-force-opts-against-dna-sampling/news-breaking/