Texas Senator Seeks Limits on 'Untraceable' Prepaid Cellphones
The Dallas Morning News, (01/31/08), Steve Thompson
A proposal by Texas Sen. John Carona that will require customers purchasing disposable cellphones to provide ID and limit their purchase to only three cellphones is likely to make the phones less appealing to criminal and possibly terrorists. Carona's plan also includes a provision that would require prepaid cellphone service providers to maintain phone records and make them available to police.
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/
stories/020108dnmetcellphones.3156e7f.html
Federal Grant to Help Launch Police Data-Sharing System
The Joplin Globe, (01/31/08), Susan Redden
Federal funding in the amount of $850,000 in addition to $700,000 in funds received in 2001 will be used to finalize a wireless information sharing system for three Missouri counties. The system will allow local law enforcement to collaborate and share information, and when the system is completed it will connect to a statewide system. Officials hope to have the system up and running later this summer. www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_031231944.html
Licence Scans Tilt Odds in Our Favour
The Ottawa Citizen, (02/04/08), Dave Brown
In Canada, license plate scanning is being used not only to identify stolen cars, but also cars that are uninsured or linked to a suspended or unlicensed driver. Officials hope this effort will reflect in lower costs to insured drivers. The Insurance Bureau of Canada fully funded tests of the license plate scanning systems in Southern Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Cameras mounted on police cars scan as many as 3,000 plates an hour. Images of the plates are run through the on-board computer, which is updated constantly with information from the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) and the insurance industry. If there is a match, the system alerts the officer. In British Columbia, the tests were so positive they have added a police helicopter to the program.
www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=c6bce478-8aae-4694-83d6-4f967892bce4
New Device Could Help Rescuers Locate Missing Hikers, Skiers, Snowmobilers
7News, (01/30/08), Russell Haythorn
A new device serves to keep outdoor enthusiasts in touch, and in the event of an emergency will also help emergency services and rescuers locate the person in trouble. Spot Satellite Messenger has a simple four-button function-an on/off switch and an additional three buttons that provide status updates on the customer. The "okay" button transmits an okay e-mail/text message to family and friends; the "help" button alerts family and friends and transmits the user's coordinates, closest city information, and provides a Google map that pinpoints exact location; and finally a "911" button to be used for those instances of serious distress. Customers use their home computer to set up the messages for each of the status buttons ahead of time, as well as designate who they want to receive the messages.
www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15181175/detail.html
Traffic Scofflaws in for Rude Awakening: Technology to Leave Ticket Collectors No Place to Hide
Chicago Tribune, (02/05/08), Eric Zorn
Chicago's Department of Revenue will use automatic license plate recognition as part of a new program that includes 26 vans roaming city streets identifying vehicles with multiple unpaid parking or red-light violations. The AutoVu system allows these crews to perform their task nine times faster than the previous manual method. The slowest part is post system identification, when the crew double checks the information and applies the boot to the vehicles. This more streamlined process has provided the city a chance to redeploy 17 employees to write tickets and it is hoped to generate an increase in ticket revenue, which was estimated at $165 million last year.
www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-zorn_05feb05,1,7581666.column?ctrack=1&cset=true
Police Go Live Monitoring D.C. Crime Cameras
Washington Post, (02/11/08), Allison Klein
In an effort to fight crime, District of Columbia police will begin to monitor 10 to 15 of the city's 73 cameras for about 40 hours a week. Prior to the implementation of Chief C. Lanier's plan, the cameras were used as part of the investigation of a crime after the fact. The 10 to 15 cameras will be chosen based on statistics and trends for the various areas of the city. The city adopted camera surveillance almost 10 years ago to help with inaugurations and demonstrations.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/10/AR2008021002726.html
Speed Camera Catches Vehicles Going 100 MPH
NBC 4, (01/31/08)
The Montgomery County Police Department has implemented the use of fixed speed-enforcement cameras in an effort to slow drivers in residential and school zones. The police were aware that they would catch some drivers going fast, but they didn't anticipate capturing images of someone going over 100 mph through a school zone. During the early morning hours of November 14, 2007, a fixed speed-enforcement camera took images of a car doing 110 mph in front of Wheaton High School, where the posted speed is 35 mph. On December 20, 2007, another camera captured a driver going 76 mph in a 35 mph zone. The use of these cameras has freed up officers to handle other issues and has earned the department $2.8 million in ticket revenue since the program began.
www.nbc4.com/news/15181421/detail.html
New ID Checks Begin
Cleburne Times-Review, (01/31/08), Lisa Magers
New procedures will be implemented by the Cleburne ISD schools in Texas in an effort to provide a safe learning environment for students and staff. The check-in procedures will have visitors present a valid driver's license or State-issued ID that office personnel will scan and check against multiple nationwide sex offender databases. If there is an issue the system will alert the office staff. Otherwise, the system uses the scanned information from the ID to produce a nametag for the visitor that includs an image of the individual's ID, a time stamp, and a reason for the visit. Another alert option available on the system relates to private alerts that are specific to individuals and to restraining orders, custody, or visitors that have been banned.
www.cleburnetimesreview.com/local/local_story_031190012.html
Essex Hopes $438K Grant Will Heat Up Cold Cases
The Star-Ledger, (02/03/08), William Kleinknecht
Funding in the amount of $438,000 from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), will help Essex County (New Jersey) establish a cold-case team to re-examine evidence from unsolved crimes and, where possible, apply any new, cutting-edge DNA tools that may help solve the crime. Under the President's DNA Initiative, NIJ has awarded funding for cold-case investigations in 29 States. Forgotten clues-rope, gum, cigarette butts, or a hat-may still contain some usable biological material that may be analyzed and matched to evidence found at other crime scenes or DNA obtained from a convicted criminal. It is hoped that this funding can be used to close some of Essex County's unsolved crimes.
www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1202017039159760.xml&coll=1
High-Tech Goggles Mean Police Won't Be in the Dark
Citizen.com, (01/31/08), Cutter Mitchell
A program used to put phased-out military equipment in the hands of law enforcement has helped the Alton (NH) Police Department acquire PVS-7B night vision goggles. Understanding the need for such goggles in assisting in situations like burglaries or missing hikers, Police Chief Philip Smith Jr. worked with the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office of the U.S. Central Command Air Forces to attain the equipment. The value of a pair of the night vision goggles is between $3,500 to $4,000; however, through the program the goggles were donated at no cost. With that in mind the department is exploring the possibility of obtaining an infrared device that is larger than the one the department presently uses, which could be used with the night vision goggles during a missing person search.
www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080131/GJNEWS02/263570658/-1/CITNEWS
Binoculars Will Aid City Police at Night
StatesmanJournal, (02/01/08), Dennis Camire
The Salem Police Department will be receiving $13,000 in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant funding toward the purchase of night-vision binoculars for the investigations department. The grant is part of 22 awards made to 22 Oregon counties at a total amount of $350,000. The DHS funding is hoped to help first responders with the management of operations and prevent or respond to terrorist events.
www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006802010305
Courts Look to Improve Availability and Reduce Paper
St. Cloud Times, (02/01/08), David Unze
At the end of February, a test will be conducted in a small courtroom in Stearns County (MN) concerning how information is shared within the courthouse. The transition will be from a system that is mostly dependant on paper to a system that will use electronic files and records to help reach a point where those involved in a case would leave with judge's orders in hand and not have to wait several weeks for those orders to be distributed. Stearns County presently has one wired courtroom that would provide lawyers the chance to leave hardcopy files at their office and rely on electronic documents during juvenile court proceedings. The county attorney transferred civil case files to electronic, and is in the process of doing the same with criminal and juvenile records. Though a conversion to a system that is completely paperless may not be possible, the conversion could save money in staff time spent entering data, and in storage costs at the county and State levels.
www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080201/NEWS01/102010027/1009
Grant to Help County Offices Go 'Paperless'
News-Leader, (02/06/08), Dirk VanderHart
The amount of $940,000 was awarded to Green County (MO) to help the county sheriff and prosecuting attorney offices become paperless. The money is hoped to help the prosecuting attorney handle new cases digitally by early summer and the sheriff anticipates scanning warrants and records into a central database. Because all records will be electronic, deputies and local police officers will be able to have quick access to information. To further this immediate access the funding will also be used to purchase terminals for police and sheriff vehicles and to establish a Mobile Data Terminal Network.www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080206/NEWS01/802060406/1007/NEWS01
Showing posts with label police cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label police cars. Show all posts
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Law Enforcement Technology
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, September 6, 2007
"City Looks at $40M Police Headquarters"
Waukegan News Sun (IL) (09/04/07); Peterson, Craig
The Waukegan, Ill., City Council is considering design plans for a new headquarters for its police. A five-floor building with communications, training, investigations, records, evidence processing, and office space is thought to cost around $40 million. A police headquarters outfitted with the modern crime-fighting devices is the most sophisticated and costly facility any municipal government will construct, architects have informed aldermen. While initially, plans had called for redoing the previous city hall facility or constructing on an adjacent location, Police Chief Bill Biang explained that seven architectural companies studied refurbishing the present facility and all said it was not a good idea. Biang added there is no room to expand horizontally, and the building cannot support adding floors to it. He also stated that acquiring land would counter the savings of redoing the facility. The council may use a referendum to pay for the new police headquarters. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/
news/540363,5_1_WA04_WAUKEGANCOPS_S1.article
"A High-Tech Helping Hand for Soldiers"
Philadelphia Inquirer (09/04/07); Holcomb, Henry J.
The Wearable Intelligent Reporting Environment (WIRE), developed by Lockheed Martin, is designed to help soldiers in the field by recording their activity and turning speech it records into documents so soldiers do not have to write reports after a hard day on patrol. If approved, soldiers would wear a headset with an earphone and microphone designed to separate voices from gunfire and other noise. The headset is connected to a rugged but lightweight computer tucked into the soldier's combat vest. The system allows soldiers to dictate a report while in the field, all without taking their hands off their weapons or their eyes off of the action. The computer asks for responses that fill out forms designed for different situations and asks about words or situations it does not understand. The computer automatically creates a report and sends it to commanders, along with data from the soldier's GPS receiver. Data from multiple patrols can be analyzed immediately to fine-tune strategy and tactics. WIRE is designed to work with headsets and batteries already used by the military, and because the device does not have a video screen a single charge lasts as long as most patrols. WIRE also has significant potential for law enforcement applications. Crime analysis expert Robert Cheetham says fresh digital reports from the field would be extremely valuable to police commanders and could allow them to detect patterns and prevent future crimes. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20070904_
A_high-tech_helping_hand_for_soldiers.html
"GPS Technology Helps to Locate Police Dogs"
Cherry Hill Courier-Post (NJ) (09/04/07); Strupczewski, Leo
The Camden County, N.J., Sheriff's Department is one of the initial law enforcement agencies in the nation to obtain GPS technology that can help an officer locate his dog. The dog's collar contains the GPS device, and the dog's officer carries a hand-held device not much larger than a BlackBerry, to track the animal. If a dog gets lost, department members can locate him by finding a pawprint on the handler's screen and proceeding towards it. The Minnesota firm White Bear Technologies manufactures the Roam-EO technology, and contributed four units to the Camden Sheriff's Department's four canine divisions. Roam-EO offers the department real-time information, which is sent to an officer's hand-held unit. Each device is priced at $499, and there is an insurance fee for dogs of $4,500 to $6,000, although that price can increase if training is included. United States Police Canine Association executive director Russ Hess thinks the technology will become more popular as the systems become more advanced.
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20070904/NEWS01/709040362/1006
"Police to Unveil New Communication Gear"
WTNH.com--Channel 8 (Conn.) (09/05/07); Latina, Jodi
First responders in Connecticut will have new technology in the near future to assist them in emergency events. On Wednesday, they are set to receive a communication system that helps links departments throughout Connecticut. It will be the initial state in the country to have the radio common channel erected. The system is intended to maintain open communication lines during an emergency. Currently, if a police officer in Enfield, for example, wishes to speak with an officer in Madison, they would have to use the phone. With a common radio frequency, the link could be immediate. The new system will also keep portable radios in sync. The technology, which is known as band, is priced at $1 million, and connects to current radio systems.
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=7027349&nav=3YeX
"Groves Police Get Anti-Gang Grant"
Mid County Chronicle (TX) (09/05/07); Kutac, Dennis
Authorities with the Groves, Texas, Police Department claim superior technology equipment is what they want to buy after getting a federal granted intended to help target gang violence and associated crimes. Sen. John Cornyn ( R) claims the $350,350 grant was provided by the U.S. Department of Justice's Anti-Gang Initiative and was dispensed by the Texas Office of the Attorney General. Groves Police Department Det. Steven Hinton noted the proposal the department actually presented for the Project Safe Neighborhoods grant totaled $84,489, which it requested earlier this year and from which it obtained around $80,000. Hinton explained the equipment the department wants to acquire includes thermal-imaging devices, binoculars, recorders, and transmitters. "Our department will be buying technology extremely advanced mainly for undercover work and surveillance," he stated. Groves City Marshal Jeff Wilmore pointed out that the grant will also enable the Groves Police Department to bring its Safe Streets Crime Unit and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force together to deal with gang-associated and personal crimes. Cornyn stated the Anti-Gang Initiative offers money to support new or enlarged anti-gang and enforcement plans under the current Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.
http://www.midcountychronicle.com/news/2007/0905/Front_Page/001.html
"Sandy Springs, GA Police Department Selects SunGard's OSSI Public Safety Software"
WebWire (09/03/07)
SunGard HTE, a leading international provider of government information technologies, reports that the Sandy Springs, Ga., Police Department has signed a contract to implement the company's OSSI Public Safety Suite of software. The suite provides a fully integrated system that affords each agency real-time access to shared information, helping to improve response times, reduce costs, and increase officer safety. The Sandy Springs Police Department will implement the Records Management System and Mobile Computing components of the OSSI Public Safety Suite. Records Management System provides a comprehensive system to collect, store, and access information gathered by law enforcement personnel during daily activities. Mobile Computing Technology is a wireless application that provides access to information for officers in the field. Together, these components will help officers to stay connected with real-time data while in the field. http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=46613
"Lawmen on Target with CVTC Technology"
Calhoun Times (GA) (08/31/07); West, E.K.
The Northwest Georgia Enforcement Executives Association convened in August at Coosa Valley Technical College (CVTC) for the introduction of the new Computer LaserShot Technology in the Criminal Justice program. The innovative technology was given to the officers by CVTC Criminal Justice coordinator and instructor Tom Bojo. "This is an outstanding piece of equipment that can be used not only for laser shot simulation classroom purposes but law enforcement departments can reserve the simulator for training," he stated. LaserShot is a computer-simulation program that employs a simulated handgun and a laser-action screen. Numerous drills and situations--including vehicle chases and hostage scenarios--take place onscreen with various endings. LaserShot instruction is only done at CVTC's Gordon County campus as part of the Criminal Justice program. In addition, the program provides classrooms, crime-scene rooms, computer research facilities, and rescue maze capability. "Our technology capabilities give students hands on experience allowing them to use what they learn in the field," notes Bojo, which keeps officers interested and offers them ongoing feedback.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&
pnpID=722&NewsID=834262&CategoryID=3388&on=1
"Area Police Forces Add High-Tech Gear"
Valley News Dispatch (08/26/07); Biedka, Chuck
Harrison Township, Pa., law enforcement will soon begin utilizing a video enhancement system, while police in O'Hara will discover how to utilize a high-tech surveillance system that can be employed to investigate a variety of crimes, including drug trafficking. The video enhancement system can be utilized with the majority of video systems to upgrade the quality of images, such as those found on a firm's surveillance tapes. Meanwhile, the video surveillance system is small, easy to hide, and employs a camera that is motion activated. The system, which also records sounds, can be utilized inside or outdoors. O'Hara's surveillance system is the third advanced technological tool that the police department has acquired from the U.S. government. The department is also employing a thermal imaging camera. Harrison Police Chief Mike Klein noted his department will pursue a grant in 2008 to purchase the same surveillance system O'Hara is using. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_524172.html
"Oil City Police Go to Nab Speeders"
Oil City Derrick (PA) (08/30/07); Clark, Karen
The Oil City, Pa., Police Department has been employing the Electronic Non-Radar Device (ENRADD) since January, permitting officers to more aggressively pursue speeders. In addition, ENRADD makes it a lot harder for violators to figure out where police are probably waiting and watching. ENRADD--a wireless speed-detection device--enables police to operate a speed check almost anyplace, including on leading thoroughfares, bridges, and back streets. ENRADD has a pair of tripods that each have sensor units. Officers put the three-foot tripods on either side of the road. As cars drive between the sensors, their speed is determined and sent through a wireless radio connection to a display head situated in a patrol vehicle. Experts contend that ENRADD can save a police department $3,000 to $5,000 a car annually on gas and maintenance because police do not have to chase vehicles that are going too fast. http://www.thederrick.com/stories/08312007-5008.shtml
"Video Billboards Coming This Way"
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/21/07) P. E1; Slobodzian, Joseph A.
The Philadelphia region will soon erect digital billboards, which are being lauded by police for promoting public safety. ClearChannel Outdoor stated it would have eight 14-by-48 video billboards with advertising images or messages that would change every eight seconds on leading highways by the end of this year from Bucks County to Philadelphia and into Delaware County. The company attempted to install a couple of billboards on Aug. 20, only to be stopped by continuous rain. ClearChannel claims the billboards recently informed drivers in Minneapolis and St. Paul about the demise of the Interstate 35W bridge and offered optional routes. Separately, a missing girl from Minneapolis was located one day after digital billboards were utilized in an Amber Alert. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson supports the digital billboards, noting they are in the "community's best interests because they have the capability to deliver important emergency information, such as Amber Alerts or disaster-preparedness bulletins." Driver-safety organizations and environmentalists, however, contend that the billboards will endanger motorists and are an eyesore.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20070821_
Video_billboards_coming_this_way.html
"Asotin County Sheriff Upgrades Tasers"
Lewiston Morning Tribune (ID) (08/21/07) P. 1D; Cole, David
Deputies in Asotin County, Idaho, are now carrying Tasers with newer technology, which are better at controlling dangerous suspects and are safer, authorities claim. In June, Asotin County Sheriff Ken Bancroft began carrying the new Taser X26 model, replacing the older Taser M26. The Taser X26 discharges a pair of small probes, which look like fish hooks that have been straightened. The probes can fly as far as 25 feet, penetrating the clothing of a suspect and going into the body, Bancroft explained. The Taser X26 costs $200 more than the M26, at $800 apiece. The sheriff's office bought 14 of the X26s, one for every field deputy and two for joint use by Asotin County Jail correctional deputies. The Taser X26 is shaped like a firearm, weighs less than the older Tasers, and documents the length of activation time. http://www.lmtribune.com
"Strategy Game Trains Cops and Firefighters"
PC World (08/23/07); McMillan, Robert
Graduate students from the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering are collaborating with Sandia National Laboratories on a real-time strategy game that allows police officers, fire fighters, and other first responders to practice emergency scenarios. The game, Ground Truth, is realistic because events in the game occur in real time, putting added pressure on first responders to act swiftly. Jim Pointer, the medical director of Alameda County's Emergency Medical Services Agency, recently completed an intense session of Ground Truth that called for him to oversee a city's response to a toxic chemical spill. During the scenario, he was responsible for managing traffic barriers, putting hazmat teams and police cars in position to respond to the spill, and managing medical collection points while keeping an eye out for toxic plumes. Pointer says the game is fun, educational, and has great promise. Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III game provided inspiration for Ground Truth, which could eventually receive funding from private industry or even the Homeland Security Department. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136306-c,games/article.html
"Dallas PD Fights Crime With Video Surveillance"
Security Technology & Design (07/07) Vol. 17, No. 7, P. 52; Levin, Gregg
In early 2005, the Dallas Police Department launched a pilot project involving the installation of video surveillance cameras in the busy Deep Ellum area of the city. After just four months of operation, the project was credited with significantly reducing the number of crimes in the area, prompting the Police Department to consider expansion. With funding from the Meadows Foundation, bids were sought to install a wireless video surveillance system in Dallas' central business district with a goal of reducing crime in hot spots by 30 percent. In January, the new system was deployed, covering about 30 percent of the downtown area with round-the-clock monitoring and allowing operators to change the direction of the camera lenses remotely as well as allowing officers to redeploy cameras as needed to increase monitoring capabilities at special events or other downtown locations. The Police Department now plans to increase the number of cameras deployed around the city by threefold.
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/print/Security-Technology-
and-Design/Video-Surveillance/Dallas-PD-Fights-Crime-With-Video-Surveillance
/11804SIW2
"Riot Act"
Police Magazine (08/07) Vol. 31, No. 8, P. 34; Griffith, David
Since it was closed in 1996, the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville has hosted the annual Mock Prison Riot, which is one of the premier corrections and law enforcement training events in the world. The Mock Prison Riot, which is held each May, is planned and executed by the staff of the Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLTEC) and the National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center (NCLETTC). Personnel from the two organizations act as leaders of the "rioters," who are mostly students from local colleges and high schools. In addition, OLTEC develops scenarios that allow law enforcement agencies that are participating in the Mock Prison Riot to practice putting down prison disturbances. Although the scenarios are choreographed to some extent, there are some surprises for the responders. In some of the scenarios, the prisoners give up quickly, while in others they put up a fight. Along with developing the riot scenarios, OLETC and NCLETTC work with the participating law enforcement agencies and the makers of the products that are on display at the Mock Prison Riot's Technology Showcase to provide training opportunities that involve new or improved products. Since it is held in an abandoned prison, the event offers a one-of-a-kind training opportunity for law enforcement agencies such as the Gwinnett County (Ga.) Sheriff's Office's Rapid Response Team. "We really can't train very well in our jail because it is occupied," said Major Carl Sims of the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office. "And that's a problem because a cell offers a unique environment that's difficult to duplicate outside of a corrections facility." http://www.policemag.com/Articles/2007/08/Riot-Act.aspx
Thursday, September 6, 2007
"City Looks at $40M Police Headquarters"
Waukegan News Sun (IL) (09/04/07); Peterson, Craig
The Waukegan, Ill., City Council is considering design plans for a new headquarters for its police. A five-floor building with communications, training, investigations, records, evidence processing, and office space is thought to cost around $40 million. A police headquarters outfitted with the modern crime-fighting devices is the most sophisticated and costly facility any municipal government will construct, architects have informed aldermen. While initially, plans had called for redoing the previous city hall facility or constructing on an adjacent location, Police Chief Bill Biang explained that seven architectural companies studied refurbishing the present facility and all said it was not a good idea. Biang added there is no room to expand horizontally, and the building cannot support adding floors to it. He also stated that acquiring land would counter the savings of redoing the facility. The council may use a referendum to pay for the new police headquarters. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/
news/540363,5_1_WA04_WAUKEGANCOPS_S1.article
"A High-Tech Helping Hand for Soldiers"
Philadelphia Inquirer (09/04/07); Holcomb, Henry J.
The Wearable Intelligent Reporting Environment (WIRE), developed by Lockheed Martin, is designed to help soldiers in the field by recording their activity and turning speech it records into documents so soldiers do not have to write reports after a hard day on patrol. If approved, soldiers would wear a headset with an earphone and microphone designed to separate voices from gunfire and other noise. The headset is connected to a rugged but lightweight computer tucked into the soldier's combat vest. The system allows soldiers to dictate a report while in the field, all without taking their hands off their weapons or their eyes off of the action. The computer asks for responses that fill out forms designed for different situations and asks about words or situations it does not understand. The computer automatically creates a report and sends it to commanders, along with data from the soldier's GPS receiver. Data from multiple patrols can be analyzed immediately to fine-tune strategy and tactics. WIRE is designed to work with headsets and batteries already used by the military, and because the device does not have a video screen a single charge lasts as long as most patrols. WIRE also has significant potential for law enforcement applications. Crime analysis expert Robert Cheetham says fresh digital reports from the field would be extremely valuable to police commanders and could allow them to detect patterns and prevent future crimes. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20070904_
A_high-tech_helping_hand_for_soldiers.html
"GPS Technology Helps to Locate Police Dogs"
Cherry Hill Courier-Post (NJ) (09/04/07); Strupczewski, Leo
The Camden County, N.J., Sheriff's Department is one of the initial law enforcement agencies in the nation to obtain GPS technology that can help an officer locate his dog. The dog's collar contains the GPS device, and the dog's officer carries a hand-held device not much larger than a BlackBerry, to track the animal. If a dog gets lost, department members can locate him by finding a pawprint on the handler's screen and proceeding towards it. The Minnesota firm White Bear Technologies manufactures the Roam-EO technology, and contributed four units to the Camden Sheriff's Department's four canine divisions. Roam-EO offers the department real-time information, which is sent to an officer's hand-held unit. Each device is priced at $499, and there is an insurance fee for dogs of $4,500 to $6,000, although that price can increase if training is included. United States Police Canine Association executive director Russ Hess thinks the technology will become more popular as the systems become more advanced.
http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20070904/NEWS01/709040362/1006
"Police to Unveil New Communication Gear"
WTNH.com--Channel 8 (Conn.) (09/05/07); Latina, Jodi
First responders in Connecticut will have new technology in the near future to assist them in emergency events. On Wednesday, they are set to receive a communication system that helps links departments throughout Connecticut. It will be the initial state in the country to have the radio common channel erected. The system is intended to maintain open communication lines during an emergency. Currently, if a police officer in Enfield, for example, wishes to speak with an officer in Madison, they would have to use the phone. With a common radio frequency, the link could be immediate. The new system will also keep portable radios in sync. The technology, which is known as band, is priced at $1 million, and connects to current radio systems.
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=7027349&nav=3YeX
"Groves Police Get Anti-Gang Grant"
Mid County Chronicle (TX) (09/05/07); Kutac, Dennis
Authorities with the Groves, Texas, Police Department claim superior technology equipment is what they want to buy after getting a federal granted intended to help target gang violence and associated crimes. Sen. John Cornyn ( R) claims the $350,350 grant was provided by the U.S. Department of Justice's Anti-Gang Initiative and was dispensed by the Texas Office of the Attorney General. Groves Police Department Det. Steven Hinton noted the proposal the department actually presented for the Project Safe Neighborhoods grant totaled $84,489, which it requested earlier this year and from which it obtained around $80,000. Hinton explained the equipment the department wants to acquire includes thermal-imaging devices, binoculars, recorders, and transmitters. "Our department will be buying technology extremely advanced mainly for undercover work and surveillance," he stated. Groves City Marshal Jeff Wilmore pointed out that the grant will also enable the Groves Police Department to bring its Safe Streets Crime Unit and the FBI Safe Streets Task Force together to deal with gang-associated and personal crimes. Cornyn stated the Anti-Gang Initiative offers money to support new or enlarged anti-gang and enforcement plans under the current Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative.
http://www.midcountychronicle.com/news/2007/0905/Front_Page/001.html
"Sandy Springs, GA Police Department Selects SunGard's OSSI Public Safety Software"
WebWire (09/03/07)
SunGard HTE, a leading international provider of government information technologies, reports that the Sandy Springs, Ga., Police Department has signed a contract to implement the company's OSSI Public Safety Suite of software. The suite provides a fully integrated system that affords each agency real-time access to shared information, helping to improve response times, reduce costs, and increase officer safety. The Sandy Springs Police Department will implement the Records Management System and Mobile Computing components of the OSSI Public Safety Suite. Records Management System provides a comprehensive system to collect, store, and access information gathered by law enforcement personnel during daily activities. Mobile Computing Technology is a wireless application that provides access to information for officers in the field. Together, these components will help officers to stay connected with real-time data while in the field. http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=46613
"Lawmen on Target with CVTC Technology"
Calhoun Times (GA) (08/31/07); West, E.K.
The Northwest Georgia Enforcement Executives Association convened in August at Coosa Valley Technical College (CVTC) for the introduction of the new Computer LaserShot Technology in the Criminal Justice program. The innovative technology was given to the officers by CVTC Criminal Justice coordinator and instructor Tom Bojo. "This is an outstanding piece of equipment that can be used not only for laser shot simulation classroom purposes but law enforcement departments can reserve the simulator for training," he stated. LaserShot is a computer-simulation program that employs a simulated handgun and a laser-action screen. Numerous drills and situations--including vehicle chases and hostage scenarios--take place onscreen with various endings. LaserShot instruction is only done at CVTC's Gordon County campus as part of the Criminal Justice program. In addition, the program provides classrooms, crime-scene rooms, computer research facilities, and rescue maze capability. "Our technology capabilities give students hands on experience allowing them to use what they learn in the field," notes Bojo, which keeps officers interested and offers them ongoing feedback.
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=localnews&
pnpID=722&NewsID=834262&CategoryID=3388&on=1
"Area Police Forces Add High-Tech Gear"
Valley News Dispatch (08/26/07); Biedka, Chuck
Harrison Township, Pa., law enforcement will soon begin utilizing a video enhancement system, while police in O'Hara will discover how to utilize a high-tech surveillance system that can be employed to investigate a variety of crimes, including drug trafficking. The video enhancement system can be utilized with the majority of video systems to upgrade the quality of images, such as those found on a firm's surveillance tapes. Meanwhile, the video surveillance system is small, easy to hide, and employs a camera that is motion activated. The system, which also records sounds, can be utilized inside or outdoors. O'Hara's surveillance system is the third advanced technological tool that the police department has acquired from the U.S. government. The department is also employing a thermal imaging camera. Harrison Police Chief Mike Klein noted his department will pursue a grant in 2008 to purchase the same surveillance system O'Hara is using. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_524172.html
"Oil City Police Go to Nab Speeders"
Oil City Derrick (PA) (08/30/07); Clark, Karen
The Oil City, Pa., Police Department has been employing the Electronic Non-Radar Device (ENRADD) since January, permitting officers to more aggressively pursue speeders. In addition, ENRADD makes it a lot harder for violators to figure out where police are probably waiting and watching. ENRADD--a wireless speed-detection device--enables police to operate a speed check almost anyplace, including on leading thoroughfares, bridges, and back streets. ENRADD has a pair of tripods that each have sensor units. Officers put the three-foot tripods on either side of the road. As cars drive between the sensors, their speed is determined and sent through a wireless radio connection to a display head situated in a patrol vehicle. Experts contend that ENRADD can save a police department $3,000 to $5,000 a car annually on gas and maintenance because police do not have to chase vehicles that are going too fast. http://www.thederrick.com/stories/08312007-5008.shtml
"Video Billboards Coming This Way"
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/21/07) P. E1; Slobodzian, Joseph A.
The Philadelphia region will soon erect digital billboards, which are being lauded by police for promoting public safety. ClearChannel Outdoor stated it would have eight 14-by-48 video billboards with advertising images or messages that would change every eight seconds on leading highways by the end of this year from Bucks County to Philadelphia and into Delaware County. The company attempted to install a couple of billboards on Aug. 20, only to be stopped by continuous rain. ClearChannel claims the billboards recently informed drivers in Minneapolis and St. Paul about the demise of the Interstate 35W bridge and offered optional routes. Separately, a missing girl from Minneapolis was located one day after digital billboards were utilized in an Amber Alert. Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson supports the digital billboards, noting they are in the "community's best interests because they have the capability to deliver important emergency information, such as Amber Alerts or disaster-preparedness bulletins." Driver-safety organizations and environmentalists, however, contend that the billboards will endanger motorists and are an eyesore.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20070821_
Video_billboards_coming_this_way.html
"Asotin County Sheriff Upgrades Tasers"
Lewiston Morning Tribune (ID) (08/21/07) P. 1D; Cole, David
Deputies in Asotin County, Idaho, are now carrying Tasers with newer technology, which are better at controlling dangerous suspects and are safer, authorities claim. In June, Asotin County Sheriff Ken Bancroft began carrying the new Taser X26 model, replacing the older Taser M26. The Taser X26 discharges a pair of small probes, which look like fish hooks that have been straightened. The probes can fly as far as 25 feet, penetrating the clothing of a suspect and going into the body, Bancroft explained. The Taser X26 costs $200 more than the M26, at $800 apiece. The sheriff's office bought 14 of the X26s, one for every field deputy and two for joint use by Asotin County Jail correctional deputies. The Taser X26 is shaped like a firearm, weighs less than the older Tasers, and documents the length of activation time. http://www.lmtribune.com
"Strategy Game Trains Cops and Firefighters"
PC World (08/23/07); McMillan, Robert
Graduate students from the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering are collaborating with Sandia National Laboratories on a real-time strategy game that allows police officers, fire fighters, and other first responders to practice emergency scenarios. The game, Ground Truth, is realistic because events in the game occur in real time, putting added pressure on first responders to act swiftly. Jim Pointer, the medical director of Alameda County's Emergency Medical Services Agency, recently completed an intense session of Ground Truth that called for him to oversee a city's response to a toxic chemical spill. During the scenario, he was responsible for managing traffic barriers, putting hazmat teams and police cars in position to respond to the spill, and managing medical collection points while keeping an eye out for toxic plumes. Pointer says the game is fun, educational, and has great promise. Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III game provided inspiration for Ground Truth, which could eventually receive funding from private industry or even the Homeland Security Department. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136306-c,games/article.html
"Dallas PD Fights Crime With Video Surveillance"
Security Technology & Design (07/07) Vol. 17, No. 7, P. 52; Levin, Gregg
In early 2005, the Dallas Police Department launched a pilot project involving the installation of video surveillance cameras in the busy Deep Ellum area of the city. After just four months of operation, the project was credited with significantly reducing the number of crimes in the area, prompting the Police Department to consider expansion. With funding from the Meadows Foundation, bids were sought to install a wireless video surveillance system in Dallas' central business district with a goal of reducing crime in hot spots by 30 percent. In January, the new system was deployed, covering about 30 percent of the downtown area with round-the-clock monitoring and allowing operators to change the direction of the camera lenses remotely as well as allowing officers to redeploy cameras as needed to increase monitoring capabilities at special events or other downtown locations. The Police Department now plans to increase the number of cameras deployed around the city by threefold.
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/print/Security-Technology-
and-Design/Video-Surveillance/Dallas-PD-Fights-Crime-With-Video-Surveillance
/11804SIW2
"Riot Act"
Police Magazine (08/07) Vol. 31, No. 8, P. 34; Griffith, David
Since it was closed in 1996, the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville has hosted the annual Mock Prison Riot, which is one of the premier corrections and law enforcement training events in the world. The Mock Prison Riot, which is held each May, is planned and executed by the staff of the Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLTEC) and the National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center (NCLETTC). Personnel from the two organizations act as leaders of the "rioters," who are mostly students from local colleges and high schools. In addition, OLTEC develops scenarios that allow law enforcement agencies that are participating in the Mock Prison Riot to practice putting down prison disturbances. Although the scenarios are choreographed to some extent, there are some surprises for the responders. In some of the scenarios, the prisoners give up quickly, while in others they put up a fight. Along with developing the riot scenarios, OLETC and NCLETTC work with the participating law enforcement agencies and the makers of the products that are on display at the Mock Prison Riot's Technology Showcase to provide training opportunities that involve new or improved products. Since it is held in an abandoned prison, the event offers a one-of-a-kind training opportunity for law enforcement agencies such as the Gwinnett County (Ga.) Sheriff's Office's Rapid Response Team. "We really can't train very well in our jail because it is occupied," said Major Carl Sims of the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office. "And that's a problem because a cell offers a unique environment that's difficult to duplicate outside of a corrections facility." http://www.policemag.com/Articles/2007/08/Riot-Act.aspx
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Law Enforcement Technology
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, August 2, 2007
"Centre Island Police Put Latest Technology to Work"
New York Times (07/29/07) P. 5; Domash, Shelly Feuer
Law enforcement technology scans the license plates of every car driving onto Nassau County's Centre Island. Chief Dennis Weiner of the Centre Island Police Department says the agency tracks weather via radar-monitoring computers and software servers that are used as tools for criminal reports. Officers carry compact mobile scanners to transfer vehicle license and registration information onto computers, ride in night-vision binocular-equipped Volvos, and carry Tasers. The department has a centralized system for keeping reports of accidents, arrests, and officer diaries, among other features. The main headquarters' computer also provides address validations, 3-D area maps, and a comprehensive search engine. Departments with compatible software, such as Long Beach and Mamaroneck, can network and share the information from their systems. Such advanced technology at any law enforcement agency is remarkable, but it is especially atypical for Centre Island's small nine-officer department. Weiner said that the technology costs represents only 4 percent of a $1.6 million annual budget and that the department maximizes the efficiency of their allowed spending. He added, "Anytime you apply a technology that will increase officer effectiveness, you have an opportunity to increase the bang for each tax dollar spent on public safety."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/29peopleli.html
"Prison Tests Keeping Out Some Drugs, and Visitors"
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (07/26/07) P. B1; Berard, Yamil
Visitors to prisons controlled by the Federal Bureau of Prisons are subject to a drug-testing machine that officials say is used to minimize drug usage in the facilities. The "minimally invasive" procedure takes swab samples from visitors' hands or clothes, and within seconds the results are produced. Authorities say the high-tech machine is so sensitive, it is unlikely that anyone who comes into contact with illegal substances would be able to bypass the test. Chemist James Woodford says, "If you go into a place where someone has smoked some meth or cocaine, there will be thousands if not hundreds of thousands of nanograms of pollution, and these ion scanners test at the nanogram level." Although the machines have been implemented for a decade to cut the incidences of visitors bringing inmates drugs, a 2003 Department of Justice Inspector General report revealed that efforts to impede drug trafficking did not decrease drug usage in prisons. Instead, the report found that staff members, who were not subject to the drug screening, smuggled drugs to inmates; the bureau is now seeking to implement a drug screening rule for employees. Visitors who test positive must wait 48 hours to visit the prison and will be tested every visit for one year, while a second positive test results in a 30-day wait period, thereafter subsequent positive tests result in longer waiting times. Yet University of North Texas professor Chad Trulson says that the machines might be hyper-sensitive, as the machines can detect a visitor who has shook hands with a drug-user, and he says officials should further evaluate the machines' usage. http://origin.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/17543473.htm
"Mapping Software Takes Bite Out of Crime"
Lima News (OH) (07/25/07); Stipe, Zach
The Lima, Ohio, Police Department is employing crime-mapping software to fight crime. The software can determine the precise number of crimes reported in a particular region, neighborhood, or precinct, and show where popular locations are for certain crimes. For example, the software can show the number of burglaries that took place in the Midway East neighborhood last year. Software icons such as the boxing glove (assault) and bags of money (larceny) are utilized to differentiate between various violations on a map revealing multiple crimes. All of the data is public record and updated each day. Lima-Allen County Neighborhoods in Partnership President John Schneider notes that the software is helpful because it can highlight the difference between where people think crimes occur and where they really do take place. "It can provide information to the citizens and enable closer collaboration between neighborhood activists, citizens and law enforcement," he states.
http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=41011
"Police Seek System to ID Cars"
East Valley Tribune (AZ) (07/26/07); Powell, Brian
Scottsdale, Ariz., police are pursing technology that will take photos of as many as 1,000 license plates per hour in an effort to be instantly informed about vehicles that are stolen or involved in terrorism investigations or Amber Alerts. The department is trying to buy four automated license plate recognition systems, which will study license plates within range of the police cruiser. If there is a match, the officers are instantly informed and can then check the plate in the database. In addition, the obtained information could be utilized in any pending investigations. The typical vehicle will a have a pair of cameras facing front and two in the back to decipher the license plates of traffic coming from the opposite direction. All scanned data will be contained in an inside database, including the license plate number and image, vehicle color, time and date stamp, and GPS location. It is believed the data will be kept for 30 days. Scottsdale intends to employ state and federal money to finance the equipment.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/93929
"Technology Sketches New Faces in Green River Nightmare"
Seattle Times (07/25/07); Sullivan, Jennifer
A new computer-imaging technology has allowed the King County, Wash., Sheriff's Office to get an idea of what three previously faceless murder victims looked like. To create a composite image of the three young girls, who were killed by Gary L. Ridgway--the so-called Green River killer--more than 20 years ago, forensic experts put their skulls through a CAT scan machine at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The machines subjected the girls' skulls to high levels of radiation to produce cross-dimensional images that were later downloaded into computers at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). A new type of software was then used to rebuild the girls' faces based on the shape of their skulls. Before the development of this software, forensic scientists commonly used clay on skulls to recreate faces--a process that has an accuracy rate of about 60 percent. By comparison, the new software can create an image that matches what the person actually looked like about 85 percent of the time. Investigators in King County are hoping that the improved accuracy of the images will help them to identify the three victims of the Green River killer.
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/
web/vortex/display?slug=ridgway25m&date=20070725&query=Technology+Sketches+
New+Faces+in+Green+River+Nightmare
"Technology, Police Work Nab Burglars"
Farmington Daily Times (NM) (07/28/07); Frolik, Cory
The Aztec, N.M., Police Department recently used reverse 911 to stop a series of crimes. Reverse 911 is a system that the San Juan County Communications Authority obtained several years back utilizing funds provided by the U.S. Homeland Security Department. By employing the Qwest 911 database and the assistance of an external firm to geocode the data, the system can connect the telephone numbers and addresses of inhabitants. The communications center then places that data on a server that law enforcement officials can access via the Internet. The reverse 911 system focuses on telephone numbers of a particular geographic location. Police can then transmit a prerecorded message to people in that region. On July 13, for instance, the 911 communications facility broadcast a prerecorded message to people who reside near where the Aztec crimes occurred. A citizen responded to the message by contacting police on July 15, claiming to have witnessed a man breaking into one of the houses, who was later arrested. http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_6484144
"The All-Seeing Infrared Eye"
Buffalo News (07/27/07) P. D1; Meyer, Brian
With the help of a pair of infrared cameras, Buffalo, N.Y., police have randomly scanned almost 92,000 license plates in the hunt for violators. During a 10-month period, police gave out almost 4,400 tickets and summonses based on data obtained from mobile plate readers. Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown is so pleased with the results that he would like to back a proposal by Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson to widen the program by adding five more cameras and providing them to every police district. Plans to expand the program, however, are being attacked by the New York Civil Liberties Union, which refers to the cameras as "Big Brother technology." The $125,000 needed to increase the program can be financed via state efficiency grants that are earmarked to upgrade city operations. The cameras are outfitted on the tops of police cars. After scanning plates and confirming them through computer databases, the system automatically notifies the officer inside the vehicle of outstanding warrants. Prior to expanding the program, the Buffalo Common Council and the city's control board would have to sanction plans to employ state efficiency grants to purchase more cameras. http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/128168.html
"Technology Solution to DUI Problems"
Beckley Register-Herald (07/29/07); Porterfield, Mannix
Though tougher penalties could help reduce drunk-driving crimes, West Virginia Sen. Dan Foster (D) contends that the "ultimate solution" to getting such motorists off the state's roads might occur if innovative technology is employed. Foster's Judiciary Subcommittee A panel intends to work over the August interim on a group of reforms in West Virginia's statutes dealing with drunk drivers. One plan is to enact an "aggravated DUI" measure, which raises the penalty if the drunken motorist has a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher. Another idea is to make interlocks required for all initial violators. The driver must blow into a device that determines blood alcohol content, and if it is over the legal limit, the car ignition will not start. In addition, Foster hopes that within a decade, advanced technology will be implemented in a car's steering wheel so that sensors can obtain blood alcohol content from a motorist's hands. "That's the ultimate solution, unless you put everybody in jail forever, which we really can't do," Foster says. http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_210223147.html
"Police Chief Offered Prophetic Words About Bulletproof Vests in November"
Glenwood Springs Post Independent (CO) (07/30/07)
Glenwood Springs, Colo., Police Chief Terry Wilson recently stated that bulletproof vests regularly help save the lives of police officers that are injured in the line of duty. That seems to have been the situation on July 29 when a Glenwood officer was hit in the chest while apprehending two males near the Glenwood Springs Airport. Such vests were once cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear, while the current ones are lighter and easier. The bulletproof vests are manufactured from Kevlar, a formidable weave of fiber substance that traps a bullet and rejects it, Wilson explained. "There are grades of thickness that are intended for the shape and size of the bullet to penetration versus the point of contact," Wilson said late last year. "Technology has made [bulletproof vests] so much more wearable and made it so officers will wear them." Wilson also stated that while the law does not mandate that police wear these vests, he has noticed over the past two decades that most of them have begun putting the vests on.
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20070730/VALLEYNEWS/70730002
"Ankle Bracelet Latest Fashion for Offenders"
Omaha World-Herald (NE) (07/25/07) P. 1A; Dejka, Joe
Nebraska's probation department is tracking around 150 individuals who are wearing alcohol-monitoring bracelets. The state's violators are part of a pilot plan to study the new technology, which measures alcohol excreted via perspiration. Alcohol Monitoring Systems of Denver produces the bracelet, which it refers to as the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor. It collects samples each hour and records the data, usually while the offender is sleeping, and then transmits it to law enforcement. The ankle bracket looks like a pair of cell-phone chargers linked together, and is worn round-the-clock. An alarm goes off if the wearer attempts to place any item between the bracelet and the skin. Preliminary figures in the Nebraska pilot program suggest that the bracelet is efficient and difficult to terminate. Sarpy County public defender Tom Strigenz notes that the bracelet will permit certain defendants charged with alcohol-associated crimes to wait for their trials outside of prison, instead of taking up jail space at taxpayers' expense. http://www.omaha.com
"More Than Meets the Eye"
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) (07/26/07); Croteau, Scott J.
Taser International is working with iRobot of Burlington, Mass. to equip robots with taser technology to help bring dangerous individuals under control. The technology evolution has helped law enforcement in Central Massachusetts find missing persons in the woods, get data more rapidly in police vehicles, and locate hard-to-find evidence. When the Hudson Police Department purchased a thermal imaging camera a few years ago, it wound up being a worthwhile investment. A pair of males suspected of breaking into a firm were found in the woods when police utilized the camera to track their movements. The Massachusetts State Police employ the same technology in their multiple Air Wing helicopters to help find suspects and locate missing persons. Meanwhile, Worcester police's laptops can obtain data from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, criminal background reports, and driver's license pictures, and will be able to access all police department data in the near future, including email and reports. Such technology is often expensive; one way police departments in the region get new technology is via the New England State Police Information Network, which possesses surveillance equipment and recording gadgets and has staff that departments can utilize.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20070726/NEWS/
707260749&SearchID=73288349204674
"City Focuses on Video Crime Fighting Tool"
Eagle-Tribune (MA) (07/26/07); LaBella, Mike
Haverhill, Mass., Police Chief Alan DeNaro plans to implement 12 or more video cameras in local neighborhoods by the end of this year, followed by more cameras throughout Haverhill as additional grant money is available. The monitors employ a wireless, closed-circuit TV system to transmit live video to laptop computers in police cars. The system enables an officer to see two places at once--the neighborhood he or she is patrolling and the one being monitored by the camera. "Eventually we'd like to get a portable setup that can be moved from one problem location to another, such as an area of illegal dumping, or where drugs and prostitution are a problem," DeNaro noted. He added that after the camera sites have been decided, the approval of building owners and of firms that possess utility poles in Haverhill has to be acquired. Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini is in full support of the surveillance system. "Police are short-handed, we have problems with graffiti, and this is a means of doing what we're trying to do in other departments--using technology as a better means of coverage," he stated.
http://www.eagletribune.com/punewshh/local_story_
207093819?keyword=secondarystory+page=0
"E-Tracking Enhances War on Meth"
Newark Star Ledger (07/19/07) P. 58; Jafari, Samira
New computerized tracking systems are helping law enforcement in their fight to locate and dismantle methamphetamine (meth) rings. Tracking systems installed in pharmacies notify law enforcement whenever someone purchases pseudoephedrine, a main ingredient used to make meth. The system automatically takes the name, address and driver's license information of the buyer, then contacts law enforcement through email when the customers goes over the purchase limit. Tracking systems closely monitor purchasing patterns for people who try to circumvent the law by going to more than one pharmacy to purchase the drug. New models allow police officers to track purchases by street or neighborhood.
http://www.newsday.com/search/sns-ap-tracking-meth,0,4587626.story
"Advance Driving Class for Police"
WSIL-TV (07/20/07)
The Southern Illinois Criminal Justice Program's S-I-U advance driving course can help police officers and emergency responders improve their skills behind the wheel in a number of specific situations to minimize potential risks. One exercise students are required to complete is called the Serpentine, which helps drivers with comfortable hand-positioning and handling of a vehicle. Another obstacle includes the Skid-pad, which helps drivers learn to control their vehicles on slippery surfaces. Additional training is offered in the eight-hour course on off-road recovery, controlled braking, and vehicle handling. However, before students get to the obstacle courses on the driving range, they must complete classroom training on high-speed pursuits. Lead instructor Dan Shannon notes, "We [emergency responders and police officers] spend a lot of time and hours behind that wheel in all kinds of conditions," which is why advanced driving skills are necessary. http://www.wsiltv.com/p/news_details.php?newsID=2781&type=top
"The FBI's RCFL Program is Offering a Free Webinar About Digital Evidence for Law Enforcement"
Sheriff (06/07) Vol. 59, No. 3, P. 36; Cocuzzo, Gerard J.
The FBI has created the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) Program to train law enforcement communities about digital evidence technology. Criminals are increasingly being caught by evidence such as online searches and email, among other digital evidence, so the FBI's initiative introduces responders to this realm of knowledge via training center and a digital evidence laboratory. Law enforcement agencies from all levels are involved in working with FBI forensics experts and the RCFL has assisted in investigations such as 9/11 and Enron since the program's inception. Sheriff Gary T. Maha, serving on the RCFL Program's National Steering Committee, said, "Law enforcement must get ahead of the criminals when it comes to high-tech, and the way to do that is through education and training." http://www.sheriffs.org
Thursday, August 2, 2007
"Centre Island Police Put Latest Technology to Work"
New York Times (07/29/07) P. 5; Domash, Shelly Feuer
Law enforcement technology scans the license plates of every car driving onto Nassau County's Centre Island. Chief Dennis Weiner of the Centre Island Police Department says the agency tracks weather via radar-monitoring computers and software servers that are used as tools for criminal reports. Officers carry compact mobile scanners to transfer vehicle license and registration information onto computers, ride in night-vision binocular-equipped Volvos, and carry Tasers. The department has a centralized system for keeping reports of accidents, arrests, and officer diaries, among other features. The main headquarters' computer also provides address validations, 3-D area maps, and a comprehensive search engine. Departments with compatible software, such as Long Beach and Mamaroneck, can network and share the information from their systems. Such advanced technology at any law enforcement agency is remarkable, but it is especially atypical for Centre Island's small nine-officer department. Weiner said that the technology costs represents only 4 percent of a $1.6 million annual budget and that the department maximizes the efficiency of their allowed spending. He added, "Anytime you apply a technology that will increase officer effectiveness, you have an opportunity to increase the bang for each tax dollar spent on public safety."
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/29peopleli.html
"Prison Tests Keeping Out Some Drugs, and Visitors"
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (07/26/07) P. B1; Berard, Yamil
Visitors to prisons controlled by the Federal Bureau of Prisons are subject to a drug-testing machine that officials say is used to minimize drug usage in the facilities. The "minimally invasive" procedure takes swab samples from visitors' hands or clothes, and within seconds the results are produced. Authorities say the high-tech machine is so sensitive, it is unlikely that anyone who comes into contact with illegal substances would be able to bypass the test. Chemist James Woodford says, "If you go into a place where someone has smoked some meth or cocaine, there will be thousands if not hundreds of thousands of nanograms of pollution, and these ion scanners test at the nanogram level." Although the machines have been implemented for a decade to cut the incidences of visitors bringing inmates drugs, a 2003 Department of Justice Inspector General report revealed that efforts to impede drug trafficking did not decrease drug usage in prisons. Instead, the report found that staff members, who were not subject to the drug screening, smuggled drugs to inmates; the bureau is now seeking to implement a drug screening rule for employees. Visitors who test positive must wait 48 hours to visit the prison and will be tested every visit for one year, while a second positive test results in a 30-day wait period, thereafter subsequent positive tests result in longer waiting times. Yet University of North Texas professor Chad Trulson says that the machines might be hyper-sensitive, as the machines can detect a visitor who has shook hands with a drug-user, and he says officials should further evaluate the machines' usage. http://origin.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/17543473.htm
"Mapping Software Takes Bite Out of Crime"
Lima News (OH) (07/25/07); Stipe, Zach
The Lima, Ohio, Police Department is employing crime-mapping software to fight crime. The software can determine the precise number of crimes reported in a particular region, neighborhood, or precinct, and show where popular locations are for certain crimes. For example, the software can show the number of burglaries that took place in the Midway East neighborhood last year. Software icons such as the boxing glove (assault) and bags of money (larceny) are utilized to differentiate between various violations on a map revealing multiple crimes. All of the data is public record and updated each day. Lima-Allen County Neighborhoods in Partnership President John Schneider notes that the software is helpful because it can highlight the difference between where people think crimes occur and where they really do take place. "It can provide information to the citizens and enable closer collaboration between neighborhood activists, citizens and law enforcement," he states.
http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=41011
"Police Seek System to ID Cars"
East Valley Tribune (AZ) (07/26/07); Powell, Brian
Scottsdale, Ariz., police are pursing technology that will take photos of as many as 1,000 license plates per hour in an effort to be instantly informed about vehicles that are stolen or involved in terrorism investigations or Amber Alerts. The department is trying to buy four automated license plate recognition systems, which will study license plates within range of the police cruiser. If there is a match, the officers are instantly informed and can then check the plate in the database. In addition, the obtained information could be utilized in any pending investigations. The typical vehicle will a have a pair of cameras facing front and two in the back to decipher the license plates of traffic coming from the opposite direction. All scanned data will be contained in an inside database, including the license plate number and image, vehicle color, time and date stamp, and GPS location. It is believed the data will be kept for 30 days. Scottsdale intends to employ state and federal money to finance the equipment.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/93929
"Technology Sketches New Faces in Green River Nightmare"
Seattle Times (07/25/07); Sullivan, Jennifer
A new computer-imaging technology has allowed the King County, Wash., Sheriff's Office to get an idea of what three previously faceless murder victims looked like. To create a composite image of the three young girls, who were killed by Gary L. Ridgway--the so-called Green River killer--more than 20 years ago, forensic experts put their skulls through a CAT scan machine at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. The machines subjected the girls' skulls to high levels of radiation to produce cross-dimensional images that were later downloaded into computers at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). A new type of software was then used to rebuild the girls' faces based on the shape of their skulls. Before the development of this software, forensic scientists commonly used clay on skulls to recreate faces--a process that has an accuracy rate of about 60 percent. By comparison, the new software can create an image that matches what the person actually looked like about 85 percent of the time. Investigators in King County are hoping that the improved accuracy of the images will help them to identify the three victims of the Green River killer.
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/
web/vortex/display?slug=ridgway25m&date=20070725&query=Technology+Sketches+
New+Faces+in+Green+River+Nightmare
"Technology, Police Work Nab Burglars"
Farmington Daily Times (NM) (07/28/07); Frolik, Cory
The Aztec, N.M., Police Department recently used reverse 911 to stop a series of crimes. Reverse 911 is a system that the San Juan County Communications Authority obtained several years back utilizing funds provided by the U.S. Homeland Security Department. By employing the Qwest 911 database and the assistance of an external firm to geocode the data, the system can connect the telephone numbers and addresses of inhabitants. The communications center then places that data on a server that law enforcement officials can access via the Internet. The reverse 911 system focuses on telephone numbers of a particular geographic location. Police can then transmit a prerecorded message to people in that region. On July 13, for instance, the 911 communications facility broadcast a prerecorded message to people who reside near where the Aztec crimes occurred. A citizen responded to the message by contacting police on July 15, claiming to have witnessed a man breaking into one of the houses, who was later arrested. http://www.daily-times.com/news/ci_6484144
"The All-Seeing Infrared Eye"
Buffalo News (07/27/07) P. D1; Meyer, Brian
With the help of a pair of infrared cameras, Buffalo, N.Y., police have randomly scanned almost 92,000 license plates in the hunt for violators. During a 10-month period, police gave out almost 4,400 tickets and summonses based on data obtained from mobile plate readers. Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown is so pleased with the results that he would like to back a proposal by Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson to widen the program by adding five more cameras and providing them to every police district. Plans to expand the program, however, are being attacked by the New York Civil Liberties Union, which refers to the cameras as "Big Brother technology." The $125,000 needed to increase the program can be financed via state efficiency grants that are earmarked to upgrade city operations. The cameras are outfitted on the tops of police cars. After scanning plates and confirming them through computer databases, the system automatically notifies the officer inside the vehicle of outstanding warrants. Prior to expanding the program, the Buffalo Common Council and the city's control board would have to sanction plans to employ state efficiency grants to purchase more cameras. http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/128168.html
"Technology Solution to DUI Problems"
Beckley Register-Herald (07/29/07); Porterfield, Mannix
Though tougher penalties could help reduce drunk-driving crimes, West Virginia Sen. Dan Foster (D) contends that the "ultimate solution" to getting such motorists off the state's roads might occur if innovative technology is employed. Foster's Judiciary Subcommittee A panel intends to work over the August interim on a group of reforms in West Virginia's statutes dealing with drunk drivers. One plan is to enact an "aggravated DUI" measure, which raises the penalty if the drunken motorist has a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher. Another idea is to make interlocks required for all initial violators. The driver must blow into a device that determines blood alcohol content, and if it is over the legal limit, the car ignition will not start. In addition, Foster hopes that within a decade, advanced technology will be implemented in a car's steering wheel so that sensors can obtain blood alcohol content from a motorist's hands. "That's the ultimate solution, unless you put everybody in jail forever, which we really can't do," Foster says. http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_210223147.html
"Police Chief Offered Prophetic Words About Bulletproof Vests in November"
Glenwood Springs Post Independent (CO) (07/30/07)
Glenwood Springs, Colo., Police Chief Terry Wilson recently stated that bulletproof vests regularly help save the lives of police officers that are injured in the line of duty. That seems to have been the situation on July 29 when a Glenwood officer was hit in the chest while apprehending two males near the Glenwood Springs Airport. Such vests were once cumbersome and uncomfortable to wear, while the current ones are lighter and easier. The bulletproof vests are manufactured from Kevlar, a formidable weave of fiber substance that traps a bullet and rejects it, Wilson explained. "There are grades of thickness that are intended for the shape and size of the bullet to penetration versus the point of contact," Wilson said late last year. "Technology has made [bulletproof vests] so much more wearable and made it so officers will wear them." Wilson also stated that while the law does not mandate that police wear these vests, he has noticed over the past two decades that most of them have begun putting the vests on.
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20070730/VALLEYNEWS/70730002
"Ankle Bracelet Latest Fashion for Offenders"
Omaha World-Herald (NE) (07/25/07) P. 1A; Dejka, Joe
Nebraska's probation department is tracking around 150 individuals who are wearing alcohol-monitoring bracelets. The state's violators are part of a pilot plan to study the new technology, which measures alcohol excreted via perspiration. Alcohol Monitoring Systems of Denver produces the bracelet, which it refers to as the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor. It collects samples each hour and records the data, usually while the offender is sleeping, and then transmits it to law enforcement. The ankle bracket looks like a pair of cell-phone chargers linked together, and is worn round-the-clock. An alarm goes off if the wearer attempts to place any item between the bracelet and the skin. Preliminary figures in the Nebraska pilot program suggest that the bracelet is efficient and difficult to terminate. Sarpy County public defender Tom Strigenz notes that the bracelet will permit certain defendants charged with alcohol-associated crimes to wait for their trials outside of prison, instead of taking up jail space at taxpayers' expense. http://www.omaha.com
"More Than Meets the Eye"
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) (07/26/07); Croteau, Scott J.
Taser International is working with iRobot of Burlington, Mass. to equip robots with taser technology to help bring dangerous individuals under control. The technology evolution has helped law enforcement in Central Massachusetts find missing persons in the woods, get data more rapidly in police vehicles, and locate hard-to-find evidence. When the Hudson Police Department purchased a thermal imaging camera a few years ago, it wound up being a worthwhile investment. A pair of males suspected of breaking into a firm were found in the woods when police utilized the camera to track their movements. The Massachusetts State Police employ the same technology in their multiple Air Wing helicopters to help find suspects and locate missing persons. Meanwhile, Worcester police's laptops can obtain data from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, criminal background reports, and driver's license pictures, and will be able to access all police department data in the near future, including email and reports. Such technology is often expensive; one way police departments in the region get new technology is via the New England State Police Information Network, which possesses surveillance equipment and recording gadgets and has staff that departments can utilize.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20070726/NEWS/
707260749&SearchID=73288349204674
"City Focuses on Video Crime Fighting Tool"
Eagle-Tribune (MA) (07/26/07); LaBella, Mike
Haverhill, Mass., Police Chief Alan DeNaro plans to implement 12 or more video cameras in local neighborhoods by the end of this year, followed by more cameras throughout Haverhill as additional grant money is available. The monitors employ a wireless, closed-circuit TV system to transmit live video to laptop computers in police cars. The system enables an officer to see two places at once--the neighborhood he or she is patrolling and the one being monitored by the camera. "Eventually we'd like to get a portable setup that can be moved from one problem location to another, such as an area of illegal dumping, or where drugs and prostitution are a problem," DeNaro noted. He added that after the camera sites have been decided, the approval of building owners and of firms that possess utility poles in Haverhill has to be acquired. Haverhill Mayor James Fiorentini is in full support of the surveillance system. "Police are short-handed, we have problems with graffiti, and this is a means of doing what we're trying to do in other departments--using technology as a better means of coverage," he stated.
http://www.eagletribune.com/punewshh/local_story_
207093819?keyword=secondarystory+page=0
"E-Tracking Enhances War on Meth"
Newark Star Ledger (07/19/07) P. 58; Jafari, Samira
New computerized tracking systems are helping law enforcement in their fight to locate and dismantle methamphetamine (meth) rings. Tracking systems installed in pharmacies notify law enforcement whenever someone purchases pseudoephedrine, a main ingredient used to make meth. The system automatically takes the name, address and driver's license information of the buyer, then contacts law enforcement through email when the customers goes over the purchase limit. Tracking systems closely monitor purchasing patterns for people who try to circumvent the law by going to more than one pharmacy to purchase the drug. New models allow police officers to track purchases by street or neighborhood.
http://www.newsday.com/search/sns-ap-tracking-meth,0,4587626.story
"Advance Driving Class for Police"
WSIL-TV (07/20/07)
The Southern Illinois Criminal Justice Program's S-I-U advance driving course can help police officers and emergency responders improve their skills behind the wheel in a number of specific situations to minimize potential risks. One exercise students are required to complete is called the Serpentine, which helps drivers with comfortable hand-positioning and handling of a vehicle. Another obstacle includes the Skid-pad, which helps drivers learn to control their vehicles on slippery surfaces. Additional training is offered in the eight-hour course on off-road recovery, controlled braking, and vehicle handling. However, before students get to the obstacle courses on the driving range, they must complete classroom training on high-speed pursuits. Lead instructor Dan Shannon notes, "We [emergency responders and police officers] spend a lot of time and hours behind that wheel in all kinds of conditions," which is why advanced driving skills are necessary. http://www.wsiltv.com/p/news_details.php?newsID=2781&type=top
"The FBI's RCFL Program is Offering a Free Webinar About Digital Evidence for Law Enforcement"
Sheriff (06/07) Vol. 59, No. 3, P. 36; Cocuzzo, Gerard J.
The FBI has created the Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) Program to train law enforcement communities about digital evidence technology. Criminals are increasingly being caught by evidence such as online searches and email, among other digital evidence, so the FBI's initiative introduces responders to this realm of knowledge via training center and a digital evidence laboratory. Law enforcement agencies from all levels are involved in working with FBI forensics experts and the RCFL has assisted in investigations such as 9/11 and Enron since the program's inception. Sheriff Gary T. Maha, serving on the RCFL Program's National Steering Committee, said, "Law enforcement must get ahead of the criminals when it comes to high-tech, and the way to do that is through education and training." http://www.sheriffs.org
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Law Enforcement Technology News Summary
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, May 10, 2007
"A Target Audience"
Newsday (05/06/07) P. A7; Lam, Chau
The Suffolk County, N.Y., police department is considering the purchase of the StarChase Pursuit Management System to enable officers to shoot fleeing vehicles with a sticky substance that can track vehicles. The launcher is mounted on the hood of a patrol car, has laser-guided aim, and sends a projectile that latches onto cars and trucks and contains a GPS device for tracking the vehicle. Made by Virginia technology innovator StarChase, the device will be tested with the Los Angeles Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol in June 2007. It will likely sell for several thousand dollars per vehicle. The device would allow police officers on the scene to desist from chasing a fleeing vehicle, because the vehicle would be tracked through GPS satellite systems and could be intercepted elsewhere. High-speed police chases sometimes result in traffic accidents, injuries, and fatalities involving officers and innocent bystanders. The device has a range of 20 feet, and its impact sounds like a large paintball shot by a paintball gun.
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-lidart065201398may06,0,3761016.story?coll=ny-linews-print
"High-Tech Scanner Helps Find Stolen Cars"
Fresno Bee (05/04/07) P. B1; Griswold, Lewis
The Tulare County, Calif., Board of Supervisors has approved accepting a Department of Homeland Security grant to purchase 12 MPH900 Mobile License Plate Readers for the county's sheriff's department and several municipal police departments. The scanners were developed in Italy by scientist Giovanni Garibotto, who integrated the optical scanners used by the Italian post office to read postal addresses with character-recognition software that reads license plate numbers. The devices can be portable, or can be mounted on the top of a police cruiser. When activated, the scanners read license plates from a distance and compare the plate numbers with a database of reported stolen cars. If there is a match, the officer's laptop emits a loud beep. Police in Tulare County are hoping the devices will help to reduce auto theft. Tulare County is one of the top 10 metropolitan areas in the nation for car thefts per capita.
http://www.fresnobee.com/186/story/45700.html
"Novi Police Will Get Indoor Gun Range"
Detroit News (05/03/07) P. 1; Patterson, Delores
The Novi, Mich., City Council has voted to approve some $700,000 in funding for the Novi Police Department's own eight-lane indoor gun range. The money will come from the $1.2 million in federal funding the city received for helping with a $15 million drug bust three years ago. In addition to financing the construction of the gun range, the police department will use some of those funds to pay for building repairs at headquarters, police vehicles, and technology upgrades. The city council's decision to approve funding for the gun range was met with criticism from Councilman Andrew Mutch, who said the money for the project could have been better spent. "I look at some of our long-term needs in the police department and this kind of an investment into the range just doesn't make sense to me," he said. "There are about $5 million in improvements needed at headquarters to accommodate the growing department, including an improved dispatch center." However, Novi Police Chief David E. Molloy said building the police department its own gun range is a worthwhile investment, since the department will be able to regain many hours that officers are unavailable for emergency response in the community by traveling to other locations for training.
http://search.detnews.com/sp?eId=100&gcId=23861641&rNum=
2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.detnews.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%
3FAID%3D2007705020470&siteIdType=2
"Cameras Enlisted to Fight Crime"
Cincinnati Enquirer (05/02/07) P. 3B; Perry, Kimball
Walnut Hills and East Walnut Hills will install neighborhood cameras to track criminal activity in high-crime areas. The Internet-based program is the product of a city-wide Cincinnati crime-watch program that had initially failed. Other Ohio neighborhoods had used city funds to implement their own camera crime-watching systems in high-incidence areas, with residents hoping the threat of recorded images would cut the crime rate while providing videotaped evidence for authorities. In 2003, Walnut Hills installed a camera on a block that had a high concentration of crime. 911 calls went from six calls per day to six calls per month, following the camera's installation. "That was pretty convincing for us," Walnut Hills Area Council member Kathy Atkinson said. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
AB/20070502/NEWS01/705020416/
"Laptops Among New Law Gear"
Louisville Courier Journal (05/02/07) P. 13G; Gagliardi, Melissa
An approximately $140,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will enable law enforcement agencies in the Louisville, Ky., area to obtain more laptops for police cars and other computer equipment. The Oldham County Police Department, the Oldham County Sheriff's Department, and the La Grange Police Department plan to use the grant on 13 laptops, 27 scanners, printers, and software. Mobile laptops allow officers to stay on the road longer, says Lt. Col. Billy Way of the Oldham County Police Department. "It frees them up from coming into the office to file reports," says Way. "We can actually run a license faster than dispatch." Officers will be able to scan the licenses of motorists, take a picture to check if they are wanted by other law enforcement agencies, and print out citations and instructions, making for shorter waits for citizens. The program will notify officers if there is an error in their reports, and the laptops will provide a direct link to the Kentucky State Police Headquarters, the National Crime Information Center, and the Law Enforcement Network of Kentucky. The Oldham County Police Department already has eight laptops, while the sheriff's department has two, La Grange has three, and Pewee Valley has one.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=
/20070502/ZONE09/705021017
"Tampa Firm Taps Rising Demand for Tracking Bracelets"
Miami Herald (05/01/07) P. C4; Mullins, Richard
Overcrowded jails are causing courts to employ ankle brackets to keep track of criminals' behavior. Numerous U.S. law enforcement groups have begin placing these bracelets on parolees, which can detect violations and notify police instantly. The bracelets are mostly meant for individuals convicted of drunk driving or people who have vowed not to drink as part of their release deal. The bracelets continuously measure the vapors coming off an individual's skin for ethanol traces, which the body generates when digesting alcohol. Parole officers can establish a triggering range to discover whatever amount of alcohol consumption they select. ActSoft, a Tampa, Fla., manufacturer of ankle bracelets, has invented a bracelet that continuously transmits wire signals to a cell phone that a parolee must have with him or her around the clock. Though the phone cannot place calls, it does have a GPS chip, which transmits signals to a main monitoring system that discovers a violator's location and alcohol use. The ankle-bracelet sector is estimated to eventually be valued at $1.3 billion annually.
http://www.miamiherald.com/103/story/92039.html
"Video Technology to Enhance Police Surveillance"
Fort Myers News-Press (05/01/07); Myers, Rachel
The Cape Coral, Fla., Police Department is receiving new technology that will make surveillance camera photos clear and allow detectives to perform sting operations from longer distances. Video Detective is a self-contained, mobile video-processing lab that can record video, stills, and audio, and spruce up images and sound recordings handed over to investigators as proof. Police representative Dyan Lee notes that it means more cases will be solved quicker. The $50,000 system is being financed by a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant. So far, around 250 law enforcement groups are employing Video Detective nationally. Instead of just enhancing a still image of a video, Video Detective can enhance the whole portion and replay it in a courtroom. Recently, a bank surveillance tape captured a photo of an illegible license-plate number of a car that had been involved in a robbery. By using Video Detective, investigators were able to obtain an illegible license plate number, send it to the media, and receive a tip that resulted in the suspect's arrest.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20070501/NEWS0101/70430054/1003/ACC
"Police Cars Get Video Cameras"
Merced Sun-Star (CA) (05/01/07) P. A1; Jason, Scott
Video cameras in police vehicles have been taking photos of officers' traffic pullovers and arrests for the last few weeks, making Atwater the first police department in Merced County, Calif., to utilize the digital technology. Last August, the City Council paid $54,000 for the system because it would help police and citizens by providing a non-biased record of behavior and conversations. Though Atwater's police department was the initial one to invest in the new technology, Merced's police department is investing in a camera initiative in the near future, and Livingston's police department intends to implement a system later this year. Every one of Atwater's nine police cars is outfitted with a pair of cameras and a microphone, which start recording when the officer flips on the cruiser's sirens and lights. One moveable camera points past the vehicle's hood and can focus on the license plates, while the other camera concentrates on the rear seat where handcuffed individuals are located. Atwater Police Chief Richard Hawthorne stated that the microphones in the vehicle can record discussions between suspects, which can be employed as proof.. The cruisers have a screen that is three inches by four inches on which they can view the footage, and every officer will wear a mobile microphone. At every shift's end, the police connect a cable into the cruiser's trunk to download the video to a server at the police station, which takes around 60 seconds.
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/local/story/13538326p-14142267c.html
"Prison Inmate Charged in Bonnie Craig Killing"
Anchorage Daily News (05/01/07) P. A1; Holland, Megan
Kenneth Dion has been charged for the Anchorage murder of 18-year-old Bonnie Craig in 1994. Dion, whose jail time had fluctuated between robbery and assault charges for years, raped and then killed the teen on her way to class; for thirteen years, Dion eluded authorities. In 2000, DNA from Bonnie was put into a national database to facilitate criminal investigations via DNA-matching. Six years later, Dion's DNA was entered into the same database and investigators made the connection. In April 2007, Dion was finally indicted on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and sexual assault by the Anchorage grand jury. http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/crime/craig/story/8844183p-8744876c.html
"T.F. County, Feds Set Up New Emergency Center"
Twin Falls Times-News (Idaho) (05/05/07); Hopkins, Jared S.
Officials in Twin Falls County, Idaho, are working with the federal government to create an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to handle emergency situations such as earthquakes, floods, fires, and potential terrorist incidents. This EOC will have high-technology communications and command gear to enable county officials to communicate across Idaho with other counties and agencies. Canyon and Ada counties in Idaho are installing similar command centers. Twin Falls County Commission Chairman Tom Mikesell says the EOC was created with minimal cost because the expense was included as part of a larger office move and renovation scheduled to occur at the same time. http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/05/05/news/local_state/111559.txt
"Wireless Internet Network Ready in Downtown Macon"
Macon Telegraph (GA) (05/01/07); Barnwell, Matt
Macon, Ga., plans to provide the public with access to the new computer system the city has purchased for its police department. However, local residents will only be able to connect to the wireless network from about 300 to 500 feet away from wireless "hot spots," while police officers will be able to log on from a mile away. The city bought the Wi-Fi network for the police department because it wanted to give its officers the opportunity to send and retrieve live images, reports, and pictures and descriptions of suspects and stolen property from laptops in their patrol cars. "We're going to have that right at our fingertips," says Mike Carswell, Macon's deputy police chief. "Information is what it's all about in this business." A $1.5 million grant that the city received from the U.S. Department of Justice a few years ago was used to buy the wireless Internet network. Macon officials have taken about a year to choose the equipment and install the technology. http://www.macon.com/149/story/30765.html
"Stealth Fighter"
Police (04/07) Vol. 31, No. 4, P. 32; Stradley, Mike
In addition to being a long-lasting and rugged flashlight, the TigerLight contains oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray in the back-end of the tube. This feature lets officers react to dangers in a less-lethal fashion immediately, and the latest version lets users adjust the spray nozzle to fight better in their hand. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department recently tested the device, distributing TigerLights to selected patrol deputies. After the tool was used in 52 incidents for 146 subjects, the TigerLight was shown to result in a 25 percent decline in significant force and a 43 percent drop in excessive force complaints. The TigerLight can be secured to an officer's duty belt as well as on top of firearms by using a special clip system available from TigerLight. When confronting violent suspects, the TigerLight can be a powerful deterrent because of its intense light--375 lumens--and extremely effective OC spray. An officer simply shifts the TigerLight down and turns his wrist to release the spray; just one hand is needed. Instructors with TigerLight are available to provide an eight-hour course based on different scenarios; it is also essential to teach officers about using a spray to alleviate suspects' discomfort after they are subdued. http://www.policemag.com
"Toward a Safer Campus"
U.S. News & World Report (04/30/07); Kingsbury, Alex
The Clery Act requires all U.S. colleges to report all violent crimes to the Department of Education and to provide the public with an annual report on such crimes, but research continues to show that colleges are underreporting these crimes. The top two leading causes of death among U.S. college students are accidents and suicides, and sexual assault has become the most troubling crime on U.S. campuses. "Active shooter scenarios" such as those that occurred at Virginia Tech and Columbine are something that campus police now train for, and campus police are better equipped for these incidents because they are now considered the first line of response. Controlling access to dorms and other buildings has become a priority on U.S. campuses, with most schools now requiring students to use their identity cards to enter buildings. An increasing number of schools are using email-based emergency alert systems, siren warning systems, and closed circuit television cameras used in tandem with software that can identify suspicious behavior. There is a need for mass-notification systems based on text messaging and cell phones because students have become more dependent on these forms of communication, says Steven Healy, director of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. Some schools are also running background checks on prospective students or asking probing questions on school applications. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070422/30security.htm
"U.S. Officials Recommend Better RFID Security"
Network World (04/30/07); Brodkin, Jon
Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems pose unique security challenges, which is why all organizations employing RFID devices should conduct comprehensive evaluations of the technology's potential security risks, suggests a new report from the federal government. Security and privacy risks stem from the fact that multiple organizations--including manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers--may handle RFID tags. Experts note that in hospitals, unauthorized RFID use or eavesdropping could lead to security breaches involving test results or dangerous materials. The report, which was mandated by Congress and released by the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology, includes hypothetical case studies. The report also delineates best practices for RFID use by federal agencies, hospitals, manufacturers, and retailers, such as using firewalls, encrypting radio signals, and authenticating approved RFID users. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/043007-better-rifd-security.html
"Walking the Talk"
Government Executive (04/07) Vol. 39, No. 5, P. 55; Perera, David; Marino, Jonathan
Interoperability between various first responder disciplines depends on strong leadership and effective policies, as much as it does on the need for new equipment. According to a December 2006 survey by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a majority of first responder agencies can communicate with their counterparts before a planned event, but integrating that ability into everyday operations remains a challenge. In addition, approximately 40 percent of the first responder agencies said they have compatible cross-discipline technology, and 38 percent consider the equipment to be their solution for interoperability. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff sees this perspective as misguided, and explains that many agencies forget about aspects like training, standard operating procedures, and other complex organizational issues. Over the next five years, about 50 percent of public safety agencies will upgrade their technology, but experts warn that agencies must incorporate the equipment into sound plans and policies. http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0407/041107mm.htm
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
"A Target Audience"
Newsday (05/06/07) P. A7; Lam, Chau
The Suffolk County, N.Y., police department is considering the purchase of the StarChase Pursuit Management System to enable officers to shoot fleeing vehicles with a sticky substance that can track vehicles. The launcher is mounted on the hood of a patrol car, has laser-guided aim, and sends a projectile that latches onto cars and trucks and contains a GPS device for tracking the vehicle. Made by Virginia technology innovator StarChase, the device will be tested with the Los Angeles Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol in June 2007. It will likely sell for several thousand dollars per vehicle. The device would allow police officers on the scene to desist from chasing a fleeing vehicle, because the vehicle would be tracked through GPS satellite systems and could be intercepted elsewhere. High-speed police chases sometimes result in traffic accidents, injuries, and fatalities involving officers and innocent bystanders. The device has a range of 20 feet, and its impact sounds like a large paintball shot by a paintball gun.
http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/longisland/ny-lidart065201398may06,0,3761016.story?coll=ny-linews-print
"High-Tech Scanner Helps Find Stolen Cars"
Fresno Bee (05/04/07) P. B1; Griswold, Lewis
The Tulare County, Calif., Board of Supervisors has approved accepting a Department of Homeland Security grant to purchase 12 MPH900 Mobile License Plate Readers for the county's sheriff's department and several municipal police departments. The scanners were developed in Italy by scientist Giovanni Garibotto, who integrated the optical scanners used by the Italian post office to read postal addresses with character-recognition software that reads license plate numbers. The devices can be portable, or can be mounted on the top of a police cruiser. When activated, the scanners read license plates from a distance and compare the plate numbers with a database of reported stolen cars. If there is a match, the officer's laptop emits a loud beep. Police in Tulare County are hoping the devices will help to reduce auto theft. Tulare County is one of the top 10 metropolitan areas in the nation for car thefts per capita.
http://www.fresnobee.com/186/story/45700.html
"Novi Police Will Get Indoor Gun Range"
Detroit News (05/03/07) P. 1; Patterson, Delores
The Novi, Mich., City Council has voted to approve some $700,000 in funding for the Novi Police Department's own eight-lane indoor gun range. The money will come from the $1.2 million in federal funding the city received for helping with a $15 million drug bust three years ago. In addition to financing the construction of the gun range, the police department will use some of those funds to pay for building repairs at headquarters, police vehicles, and technology upgrades. The city council's decision to approve funding for the gun range was met with criticism from Councilman Andrew Mutch, who said the money for the project could have been better spent. "I look at some of our long-term needs in the police department and this kind of an investment into the range just doesn't make sense to me," he said. "There are about $5 million in improvements needed at headquarters to accommodate the growing department, including an improved dispatch center." However, Novi Police Chief David E. Molloy said building the police department its own gun range is a worthwhile investment, since the department will be able to regain many hours that officers are unavailable for emergency response in the community by traveling to other locations for training.
http://search.detnews.com/sp?eId=100&gcId=23861641&rNum=
2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.detnews.com%2Fapps%2Fpbcs.dll%2Farticle%
3FAID%3D2007705020470&siteIdType=2
"Cameras Enlisted to Fight Crime"
Cincinnati Enquirer (05/02/07) P. 3B; Perry, Kimball
Walnut Hills and East Walnut Hills will install neighborhood cameras to track criminal activity in high-crime areas. The Internet-based program is the product of a city-wide Cincinnati crime-watch program that had initially failed. Other Ohio neighborhoods had used city funds to implement their own camera crime-watching systems in high-incidence areas, with residents hoping the threat of recorded images would cut the crime rate while providing videotaped evidence for authorities. In 2003, Walnut Hills installed a camera on a block that had a high concentration of crime. 911 calls went from six calls per day to six calls per month, following the camera's installation. "That was pretty convincing for us," Walnut Hills Area Council member Kathy Atkinson said. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
AB/20070502/NEWS01/705020416/
"Laptops Among New Law Gear"
Louisville Courier Journal (05/02/07) P. 13G; Gagliardi, Melissa
An approximately $140,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will enable law enforcement agencies in the Louisville, Ky., area to obtain more laptops for police cars and other computer equipment. The Oldham County Police Department, the Oldham County Sheriff's Department, and the La Grange Police Department plan to use the grant on 13 laptops, 27 scanners, printers, and software. Mobile laptops allow officers to stay on the road longer, says Lt. Col. Billy Way of the Oldham County Police Department. "It frees them up from coming into the office to file reports," says Way. "We can actually run a license faster than dispatch." Officers will be able to scan the licenses of motorists, take a picture to check if they are wanted by other law enforcement agencies, and print out citations and instructions, making for shorter waits for citizens. The program will notify officers if there is an error in their reports, and the laptops will provide a direct link to the Kentucky State Police Headquarters, the National Crime Information Center, and the Law Enforcement Network of Kentucky. The Oldham County Police Department already has eight laptops, while the sheriff's department has two, La Grange has three, and Pewee Valley has one.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=
/20070502/ZONE09/705021017
"Tampa Firm Taps Rising Demand for Tracking Bracelets"
Miami Herald (05/01/07) P. C4; Mullins, Richard
Overcrowded jails are causing courts to employ ankle brackets to keep track of criminals' behavior. Numerous U.S. law enforcement groups have begin placing these bracelets on parolees, which can detect violations and notify police instantly. The bracelets are mostly meant for individuals convicted of drunk driving or people who have vowed not to drink as part of their release deal. The bracelets continuously measure the vapors coming off an individual's skin for ethanol traces, which the body generates when digesting alcohol. Parole officers can establish a triggering range to discover whatever amount of alcohol consumption they select. ActSoft, a Tampa, Fla., manufacturer of ankle bracelets, has invented a bracelet that continuously transmits wire signals to a cell phone that a parolee must have with him or her around the clock. Though the phone cannot place calls, it does have a GPS chip, which transmits signals to a main monitoring system that discovers a violator's location and alcohol use. The ankle-bracelet sector is estimated to eventually be valued at $1.3 billion annually.
http://www.miamiherald.com/103/story/92039.html
"Video Technology to Enhance Police Surveillance"
Fort Myers News-Press (05/01/07); Myers, Rachel
The Cape Coral, Fla., Police Department is receiving new technology that will make surveillance camera photos clear and allow detectives to perform sting operations from longer distances. Video Detective is a self-contained, mobile video-processing lab that can record video, stills, and audio, and spruce up images and sound recordings handed over to investigators as proof. Police representative Dyan Lee notes that it means more cases will be solved quicker. The $50,000 system is being financed by a U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant. So far, around 250 law enforcement groups are employing Video Detective nationally. Instead of just enhancing a still image of a video, Video Detective can enhance the whole portion and replay it in a courtroom. Recently, a bank surveillance tape captured a photo of an illegible license-plate number of a car that had been involved in a robbery. By using Video Detective, investigators were able to obtain an illegible license plate number, send it to the media, and receive a tip that resulted in the suspect's arrest.
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/
20070501/NEWS0101/70430054/1003/ACC
"Police Cars Get Video Cameras"
Merced Sun-Star (CA) (05/01/07) P. A1; Jason, Scott
Video cameras in police vehicles have been taking photos of officers' traffic pullovers and arrests for the last few weeks, making Atwater the first police department in Merced County, Calif., to utilize the digital technology. Last August, the City Council paid $54,000 for the system because it would help police and citizens by providing a non-biased record of behavior and conversations. Though Atwater's police department was the initial one to invest in the new technology, Merced's police department is investing in a camera initiative in the near future, and Livingston's police department intends to implement a system later this year. Every one of Atwater's nine police cars is outfitted with a pair of cameras and a microphone, which start recording when the officer flips on the cruiser's sirens and lights. One moveable camera points past the vehicle's hood and can focus on the license plates, while the other camera concentrates on the rear seat where handcuffed individuals are located. Atwater Police Chief Richard Hawthorne stated that the microphones in the vehicle can record discussions between suspects, which can be employed as proof.. The cruisers have a screen that is three inches by four inches on which they can view the footage, and every officer will wear a mobile microphone. At every shift's end, the police connect a cable into the cruiser's trunk to download the video to a server at the police station, which takes around 60 seconds.
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/local/story/13538326p-14142267c.html
"Prison Inmate Charged in Bonnie Craig Killing"
Anchorage Daily News (05/01/07) P. A1; Holland, Megan
Kenneth Dion has been charged for the Anchorage murder of 18-year-old Bonnie Craig in 1994. Dion, whose jail time had fluctuated between robbery and assault charges for years, raped and then killed the teen on her way to class; for thirteen years, Dion eluded authorities. In 2000, DNA from Bonnie was put into a national database to facilitate criminal investigations via DNA-matching. Six years later, Dion's DNA was entered into the same database and investigators made the connection. In April 2007, Dion was finally indicted on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and sexual assault by the Anchorage grand jury. http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/crime/craig/story/8844183p-8744876c.html
"T.F. County, Feds Set Up New Emergency Center"
Twin Falls Times-News (Idaho) (05/05/07); Hopkins, Jared S.
Officials in Twin Falls County, Idaho, are working with the federal government to create an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to handle emergency situations such as earthquakes, floods, fires, and potential terrorist incidents. This EOC will have high-technology communications and command gear to enable county officials to communicate across Idaho with other counties and agencies. Canyon and Ada counties in Idaho are installing similar command centers. Twin Falls County Commission Chairman Tom Mikesell says the EOC was created with minimal cost because the expense was included as part of a larger office move and renovation scheduled to occur at the same time. http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2007/05/05/news/local_state/111559.txt
"Wireless Internet Network Ready in Downtown Macon"
Macon Telegraph (GA) (05/01/07); Barnwell, Matt
Macon, Ga., plans to provide the public with access to the new computer system the city has purchased for its police department. However, local residents will only be able to connect to the wireless network from about 300 to 500 feet away from wireless "hot spots," while police officers will be able to log on from a mile away. The city bought the Wi-Fi network for the police department because it wanted to give its officers the opportunity to send and retrieve live images, reports, and pictures and descriptions of suspects and stolen property from laptops in their patrol cars. "We're going to have that right at our fingertips," says Mike Carswell, Macon's deputy police chief. "Information is what it's all about in this business." A $1.5 million grant that the city received from the U.S. Department of Justice a few years ago was used to buy the wireless Internet network. Macon officials have taken about a year to choose the equipment and install the technology. http://www.macon.com/149/story/30765.html
"Stealth Fighter"
Police (04/07) Vol. 31, No. 4, P. 32; Stradley, Mike
In addition to being a long-lasting and rugged flashlight, the TigerLight contains oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray in the back-end of the tube. This feature lets officers react to dangers in a less-lethal fashion immediately, and the latest version lets users adjust the spray nozzle to fight better in their hand. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department recently tested the device, distributing TigerLights to selected patrol deputies. After the tool was used in 52 incidents for 146 subjects, the TigerLight was shown to result in a 25 percent decline in significant force and a 43 percent drop in excessive force complaints. The TigerLight can be secured to an officer's duty belt as well as on top of firearms by using a special clip system available from TigerLight. When confronting violent suspects, the TigerLight can be a powerful deterrent because of its intense light--375 lumens--and extremely effective OC spray. An officer simply shifts the TigerLight down and turns his wrist to release the spray; just one hand is needed. Instructors with TigerLight are available to provide an eight-hour course based on different scenarios; it is also essential to teach officers about using a spray to alleviate suspects' discomfort after they are subdued. http://www.policemag.com
"Toward a Safer Campus"
U.S. News & World Report (04/30/07); Kingsbury, Alex
The Clery Act requires all U.S. colleges to report all violent crimes to the Department of Education and to provide the public with an annual report on such crimes, but research continues to show that colleges are underreporting these crimes. The top two leading causes of death among U.S. college students are accidents and suicides, and sexual assault has become the most troubling crime on U.S. campuses. "Active shooter scenarios" such as those that occurred at Virginia Tech and Columbine are something that campus police now train for, and campus police are better equipped for these incidents because they are now considered the first line of response. Controlling access to dorms and other buildings has become a priority on U.S. campuses, with most schools now requiring students to use their identity cards to enter buildings. An increasing number of schools are using email-based emergency alert systems, siren warning systems, and closed circuit television cameras used in tandem with software that can identify suspicious behavior. There is a need for mass-notification systems based on text messaging and cell phones because students have become more dependent on these forms of communication, says Steven Healy, director of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. Some schools are also running background checks on prospective students or asking probing questions on school applications. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/070422/30security.htm
"U.S. Officials Recommend Better RFID Security"
Network World (04/30/07); Brodkin, Jon
Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems pose unique security challenges, which is why all organizations employing RFID devices should conduct comprehensive evaluations of the technology's potential security risks, suggests a new report from the federal government. Security and privacy risks stem from the fact that multiple organizations--including manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers--may handle RFID tags. Experts note that in hospitals, unauthorized RFID use or eavesdropping could lead to security breaches involving test results or dangerous materials. The report, which was mandated by Congress and released by the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology, includes hypothetical case studies. The report also delineates best practices for RFID use by federal agencies, hospitals, manufacturers, and retailers, such as using firewalls, encrypting radio signals, and authenticating approved RFID users. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/043007-better-rifd-security.html
"Walking the Talk"
Government Executive (04/07) Vol. 39, No. 5, P. 55; Perera, David; Marino, Jonathan
Interoperability between various first responder disciplines depends on strong leadership and effective policies, as much as it does on the need for new equipment. According to a December 2006 survey by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a majority of first responder agencies can communicate with their counterparts before a planned event, but integrating that ability into everyday operations remains a challenge. In addition, approximately 40 percent of the first responder agencies said they have compatible cross-discipline technology, and 38 percent consider the equipment to be their solution for interoperability. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff sees this perspective as misguided, and explains that many agencies forget about aspects like training, standard operating procedures, and other complex organizational issues. Over the next five years, about 50 percent of public safety agencies will upgrade their technology, but experts warn that agencies must incorporate the equipment into sound plans and policies. http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0407/041107mm.htm
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, April 26, 2007
"Cutting-Edge Scheduling Help for Police"
Washington Post (04/22/07) P. SM1; Rucker, Philip
Charles County, Md., is implementing an Internet-based tool called CourtDates to enable police officers to understand and manage their court appearance schedules online. CourtDates will go live on May 1, 2007, and will work much like an online banking tool. Police officers will be able to use a password and user-name to log onto their schedule through any Internet portal to check in, see updates, and make changes. Today officers receive court notice through paper subpoenas, must track their court dates on a calendar, and are responsible for tracking whether a court date has been moved or cancelled. This Web system will make it "vastly more efficient," says State's Attorney Leonard C. Collins Jr. Soon when police officers all have vehicle-based computers, they will be able to check each day for the week's court appointments, says Collins. Charles County IT director Richard A. Aldridge says it cost the county $12,500 to develop CourtDates. Nearby countries also will have access to this tool.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2007/04/20/AR
2007042002479.html
"Jail Ups Security Since Escape"
Columbus Dispatch (OH) (04/22/07) P. 1C; Hassett, Kelly
The Ross County, Ohio, jail has taken a number of steps to improve security in the aftermath of last July's high-profile escape of John W. Parsons, who was serving a life sentence for killing a Chillicothe police officer. For instance, the jail replaced the only camera in the recreation area, which was at least 10 years old and did not work. In addition, authorities added another camera in the center of the ceiling of the recreation area. The new camera is capable of turning 360 degrees and is protected with security casing. But there is still more work to be done. For instance, the Sheriffs Department's new body-orifice scanner, which is supposed to be able to detect metal anywhere in or on the body, failed to detect a hypodermic needle that was being smuggled in by an inmate this month. According to Sheriff Ron Nichols, the needle probably escaped detection by the scanner because it was wrapped in plastic. In light of that incident, Nichols said that his deputies will continue to physically screen inmates in addition to using the scanner.
http://wwwphp.dispatch.com
/text/stories/20070422-C1-02.php
"Gadget is Parolees' Last Call"
Tampa Tribune (04/21/07); Mullins, Richard
Facing crowded prisons and high costs of incarceration, judges are giving nonviolent offenders a choice: Wear a tracking bracelet or go to jail. Most have chosen the latter, in a new wave of monitoring devices that have allowed authorities to keep track of offenders without contributing to overcrowded jails. The bracelets are typically used for drunk driving convictions, but have also been used to monitor sexual predators. Advanced GPS technology enables parolees to stay on house arrest or in the case of alcohol detectors, monitor ethanol levels emitted by the body to track the offender's alcohol consumption. Some 34,000 people in the United States have been under Alcohol Monitoring Solutions' surveillance, the largest company in the tracking market. It costs roughly $1,300 to $2,000 monthly to incarcerate an individual, compared with the approximately $400 monthly cost of wearing a bracelet.
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro
/MGBDNZJIR0F.html
"Interrogations May Be Recorded"
Hartford Courant (CT) (04/21/07); Poitras, Colin
The Connecticut state Appropriations Committee has approved $100,000 per year of funding for a pilot program to install video surveillance in police interrogation rooms. If this provision passes, police interrogation areas in Connecticut will experience videotaping for the first time. Videotaping is in fact standard in most areas within police department buildings. The pilot program will help create clear evidence of interrogation sessions, which could be useful in court, says Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane. The Innocence Project in New York reports that a number of large cities already do this, while Alaska, Maine, and Minnesota are states that require videotaping of interrogations for serious criminal cases. Innocence Project policy advocate Amanda Melpolder says one out of five wrongful convictions relied on dubious evidence gained through interrogation. Melpolder argues that electronic surveillance will improve court evidence.
http://www.highbeam.com/do
c/1Y1-105490455.html
"L.A. Gets Nation's Largest Crime Lab"
Daily News of Los Angeles (04/19/07) P. N4; Anderson, Troy
Los Angeles city and county officials have scheduled a May 11 official opening for the area's newest crime lab, the $102 million Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center at California State University, Los Angeles. The new, five-story facility will merge the existing LAPD and sheriff's labs and will help reduce the backlog of DNA samples and other evidence. The 209,080-square-foot forensic center will also accommodate classrooms from the university's School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics and the California Forensic Science Institute. The lab will provide evidence testing for all law enforcement agencies in the county via such means as DNA analysis and crime scene reenactments using computer programs. Scanning electron microscopes will help assess trace evidence, including gunshot residue and fire-scene substances. In addition, chemical processes and laser analysis will allow personnel to develop fingerprints on surfaces such as plastic bags, paper, and other surfaces that are usually incompatible with conventional powders. The new center will also have sufficient space for upwards of 70 DNA analysts, up from the existing 30 at the sheriff's lab, and will be able to accommodate 400 staff members; evidence from some 140,000 criminal cases is estimated to be submitted yearly for assessment. http://www.dailynews.com/news
/ci_5699612
"North Huntingdon Police Latest Department to Employ Taser Device"
Greensburg Tribune-Review (PA) (04/20/07); Kaufman, Dirk W.
Police officers in Penn Township, Pa., recently finalized training on the use of Tasers, five of which were recently purchased by the department. The devices cost about $800 each and were purchased using grant money. Two officers in the department who were certified as trainers in the use of Tasers trained all of the other officers. During the training, the officers had the option of being shot at with the device. Officials note that the Tasers are effective when officers just warn suspects about their use. "They have been used as a deterrent several times successfully," notes Penn Township police Chief Michael Mastroianni. "Once you put the red dot on a person and order them to cease and desist what they're doing, they stop." He adds that the Tasers are a powerful tool in safeguarding officers from harm. Currently, all 21 officers in the department carry the devices. Officers are required to record when they fire a Taser as well when it serves as a deterrent with discharging. Officials consider the devices as one of many types of deterrents, including billy clubs and special munitions. Officers at the Delmont police department are required to undergo yearly training at the Greensburg police department, which involves mandatory shooting of the device. Officials say although such training is costly, it allows officers to be familiar with the Taser's capabilities.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x
/tribunereview
/news/westmoreland/s_503388.html
"More Parolee GPS Tracking"
San Bernardino County Sun (CA) (04/17/07); Watson, George
San Bernardino County, Calif., officials would like to partake in a California program that links monitoring devices to parolees with gang connections. On April 17, the County Board of Supervisors voted to ask Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be included in his pilot program. The program calls for parolees who had a gang-improvement conviction as part of their sentence have gadgets placed on their ankles, electronically connecting them to a GPS. It is not known how long it will take for San Bernardino County to find out whether it will be part of California's pilot program. Officials think the county is host to 300 gangs and over 13,000 gang members. Of those, a minimum of 2,000 are on parole. As part of the supervisors' April 17 vote, letters will be mailed to Sacramento supporting state Senate bills 390 and 657, in addition to Assembly Bill 360, all of which further fortify existing gang laws.
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_5691647
"Technology Cuts Response Time"
Raleigh News & Observer (NC) (04/17/07) P. B3; McDonald, Thomasi
On April 16 at Raleigh, N.C.'s Wake County Emergency Medical Services Training Center, a new vehicle monitoring system was introduced. Financed by a $1.1 million grant from the federal government, the system depends on GPS that will permit emergency dispatchers to send the nearest available emergency workers to a situation and allow law enforcement to talk with EMS on their way to a 911 call. The Automated Vehicle Tracking System will be employed in all emergency vehicles utilized by EMS, the Wake County Sheriff's Office, the City-County Bureau of Identification, and Animal Control. By employing one infrastructure, emergency vehicles will be able to answer a 911 call quicker, noted Wake EMS Chief Skip Kirkwood.
http://www.newsobserver.com
/114/story/564900.html
"Watching Workers: More Checkpoints Possible: Airport Screening Debated"
Tulsa World (OK) (04/11/07); Stewart, D.R.
The recent gun-smuggling scandal at Orlando International Airport has prompted widespread calls for airport and airline employees to be subjected to screening at airport security checkpoints, but some airport officials believe that this move would be unnecessary, disruptive, and burdensome. The Reason Foundation's director of transportation studies, Robert W. Poole Jr., offers several suggestions to significantly increase access control measures at airports while also ensuring that operations are not disrupted. Among these are requiring stronger background checks for airport employees--to the point where a criminal record of any kind would disqualify a job applicant from being hired anywhere on the airport. Poole also believes that special security checkpoints should be established. These checkpoints would have unique rules and procedures, be for airport employees only, and be manned by private security companies. Lastly, Poole calls for airport employee badges to be enhanced with biometrics, preventing anyone but the employee who holds the badge to access secure areas. Companies whose employees have these badges should be required to immediately turn in the badges of any employee whose job at the airport has ended or risk severe penalties, Poole says.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business
/article.aspx?articleID=070411_238_
E1_spanc46283
"Butler to Join County Crime Data System"
Dayton Daily News (OH) (04/19/07) P. Z3-15; Hulsey, Lynn
In Ohio, Butler County is linking up with Montgomery County's Criminal Justice Information System, a data warehouse that merges information from multiple sources. These sources include county and municipal courts as well as courts outside the county. Montgomery County Commissioners approved Butler County's entry into the system on April 10, which means Butler County will have to bear the cost of preparing its information to be ready for submission into the system. The cost of access is free for counties. Although the counties of Greene, Miami, and Preble joined earlier in 2007, Preble and Miami have yet to place any data into the system, which now holds some 2 million records, according to Joe Spitler, executive director of the criminal justice council for Montgomery County. Data on the system helps law enforcement, courts, children services, and adult protective service in verifying if an individual has had any interaction with the criminal justice system, including convictions, prison sentences, or pending charges. The addition of new counties to the system helps officials promptly find any evidence of suspects' criminal activity across county borders.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/
content/oh/story/news/local/neighbors
/2007/04/19/ddn041907z7computer.html
"City to Put Surveillance Cameras in Park"
Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN) (04/18/07) P. B1; Wang, Herman
On April 17, Chattanooga, Tenn., authorities stated the city is ready to spend as much as $660,000 for security cameras in its police cars and parks. Chattanooga will purchase 23 fixed cameras from Motorola to be erected in Coolidge and Renaissance parks and four mobile cameras to be placed in police cars. Police officers will be able to utilize laptops in their vehicles to access a wireless online program that will enable them to see images from every camera, Chattanooga CIO Mark Keil noted. Motorola representative Bob Randolph explained that the cameras can archive images that could be studied by law enforcement following an incident. "When cameras are installed, the biggest benefit is as a deterrent," he pointed out. "With the images, you have the ability to prosecute." Although the capital budget for the security cameras includes $660,000 to cover all of Chattanooga, the initial camera purchase for the city's North Shore area will cost $395,000. On April 24, the City Council will vote on the spending.
http://www.timesfreepress.com
/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?
articleid=13965&zoneid=77
"Centers to Help Agencies Share Information"
Herald-Sun (NC) (04/20/07); Freyvogel, Colleen
Federal and State law enforcement agencies are devising new strategies to effectively manage emergency situations. Fusion centers have been created as a coalition endeavor between social and federal agencies, safety officials, and state law enforcement members to create databases for emergency calls. Events such as Hurricane Katrina have illustrated deficiencies in systems of coordinating between federal and private sectors, while in the case of 9/11, technological lapses prevailed in failed attempts to call New York City. Veronique Pluviose-Fenton of the House Homeland Security Committee cites the government's endeavor to expand technology to efficiently communicate during crucial situations. With North Carolina's creation of the Information and Analysis center, Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) says both state and local governments are better prepared for 2007 in the event of a disaster.
http://www.heraldsun.com
"Appriss to Provide Sex-Offender Information to Law Enforcement Agencies"
Business First of Louisville (04/17/07)
Appriss has signed a deal with Watch Systems of New Orleans in which Appriss will be able to use Watch System's OffenderWatch database. OffenderWatch is a sex-offender registration database that is Web-based. It helps law enforcement authorities by incorporating the data from OffenderWatch with its current product offerings. Appriss manufactures criminal justice technology products and is well-known for its VINE system, which permits crime victims throughout the United States to acquire data concerning criminal cases and the custody status of violators around the clock by phone, the Internet, or email. For the past six years, Appriss has offered sex-offender notification services in numerous states. Appriss now notifies residents and companies when registered sex offenders move into their communities, although it does not directly offer information to law enforcement agencies, notes Appriss President Mike Davis. http://louisville.bizjournals.com
/louisville/stories/2007/04/16
/daily13.html
"Feds: Accuracy of Face Recognition Software Skyrockets"
LiveScience (04/13/07); Wood, Lamont
Face recognition software is 20 times better than it was five years ago, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In NIST's latest results from its Face Recognition Vendor Test, the best face recognition algorithms had a rate of false rejections of 1 percent, compared with a failure to make correct comparisons 20 percent of the time in 2002. Speed is not a key characteristic of the algorithms, which make use of the single comparison approach, rather than compare every face in a database to every other face. "We fed the algorithms lots of data to get a statistically meaningful answer," explains Jonathon Phillips, an electrical engineer who directed the test. "Our goal was to encourage improvement in the technology, and provide decision makers with numbers that would let them make an educated assessment of the technology itself." With random lighting on each face, the rejection rate was about 12 percent, compared with 20 percent five years ago.
http://www.livescience.com
/technology/070413_face_re
cognition.html
"Expert: 'Flasher' Technology Digs Deeper for Digital Evidence"
Purdue University News (04/12/07); Medaris, Kim
Rick Mislan, Purdue assistant professor of computer and information technology and former U.S. Army electronic warfare officer, said a technology currently in use in Europe could potentially be used to help solve thousands of cybercrimes in the United States. The "flasher box" can be used to download and analyze every bit of information from a wide variety of cell phones, a huge advantage over current forensic techniques that requires investigators to issue specific commands and receive only information relating to the command. With the flasher box, investigators can download the entire contents of a cell phone for examination, including call history, text messages, contacts, and deleted images and videos. "Using a flasher box is like taking a snapshot of the cell phone," Mislan said. "This method shows a lot of promise." The content of the phone is downloaded and appears as a stream of letters and numbers that only requires a mathematical translation to turn the code into useable information. Mislan said the key to success with flasher boxes is finding the correct software and cables to match the wide variety of phones available on the market.
http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x
/2007a/070412MislanFlash.html
"Preparing for the Worst"
Police (03/07); Hamilton, Melanie
Local and county governments interested in further help with their emergency preparedness systems can turn to the latest online tool from the federal government, "The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program" (HSEEP). Agencies on the local level can access the site and implement various scenarios and exercise drills in their local area to determine if their emergency response systems are adequate. The online tool also offers tips on designing standard policy, methodology, and language for all agencies at the local level. Agencies need to first set up policies and infrastructure that is uniform across the emergency response system, then assess individual targets in their region in terms of likely attack and resulting devastation. Once those tasks are completed, agencies can perform mock drills and engage the help of nearby agencies and other parties. Mock drills also need to be as realistic as possible, including the use of volunteers to play injured parties or those interested in helping others during a disaster. However, each agency involved must understand that clear, concise communications are a top priority if disasters are to be dealt with appropriately and quickly. Once drills are completed, agencies will want to conduct their own internal reviews to see what procedures were successful, which were minimally successful, and which failed completely. The audit will provide workers with areas to continue working on before a real emergency requires a response, but responders also need to keep abreast of how the interaction among agencies aided or hindered the responses given during the drill.
http://www.policemag.com/t_
cipick.cfm?rank=93858
"Each Police Chase Could Mean Change in Policy"
Bellevue Leader (04/18/07); Buzzell, Jason
In general, police departments rarely change their pursuit policies unless death or severe damage occurs; but at the Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska, that is not the case. The eight-page policy is gone over at the police academy and rigorously reviewed periodically to ensure that public safety is a number-one priority when pursuits occur. Officers are trained as recruits for eight-hour stretches when they first sign on with the department and for two-hour stretches periodically as veteran officers. However, officials note that not all chases are perfect; and when officers disobey protocols, they are disciplined accordingly per the instructions of a commander committee that reviews the actions of the officer in conjunction with the current policy rules. The department's pursuit policy was changed in February; and officers now are required to cease pursuit if apprehension is a viable option later on, suspects have crossed state lines, or commanders order the pursuit to stop. The debate over pursuit policy restrictions is heated; but with recent rulings from the Nebraska Supreme Court, which ruled that cities could be held liable for third-party injuries even after the pursuit ended, pursuit policies are carefully monitored for weaknesses.
http://www.bellevueleader.com
/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=1822152
2&BRD=2712&PAG=461&d
ept_id=559850&rfi=6
"Emergency Communications: Taking Command"
Government Security (03/07) Vol. 6, No. 1, P. 12; Carey, Carol
Three jurisdictions--Columbus, Ohio; San Diego, Calif.; and Washington, D.C.--demonstrated superior Tactical Interoperability Communications Plans (TICPs) that could serve as "best practice" models for areas developing emergency aid procedures. In Columbus, aggressively allocating 50 percent of the Urban Area Security Initiative and other grants toward communications made interoperability a priority. The city formed a Homeland Security Advisory Council to develop protocols, such as talk groups for various geographical zones and functions--like bomb squads and hospitals. A decade of forest fighting through mutual aid helped San Diego develop a TICP plan with superior coordination, involving not only police and fire departments, but also forestry services and the U.S. Coast Guard. The city's technology uses both mobile and fixed gateways; and because frequencies are pre-programmed into the radios, responders are able to quickly connect with one another, according to city officials. D.C.-area emergency staff can communicate anywhere in the country through national interoperability frequencies, and officials emphasize that speaking in "plain English," rather than in code, can facilitate communication among various agencies.
http://govtsecurity.com/mag
/emergency_communications
_responders/
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
"Cutting-Edge Scheduling Help for Police"
Washington Post (04/22/07) P. SM1; Rucker, Philip
Charles County, Md., is implementing an Internet-based tool called CourtDates to enable police officers to understand and manage their court appearance schedules online. CourtDates will go live on May 1, 2007, and will work much like an online banking tool. Police officers will be able to use a password and user-name to log onto their schedule through any Internet portal to check in, see updates, and make changes. Today officers receive court notice through paper subpoenas, must track their court dates on a calendar, and are responsible for tracking whether a court date has been moved or cancelled. This Web system will make it "vastly more efficient," says State's Attorney Leonard C. Collins Jr. Soon when police officers all have vehicle-based computers, they will be able to check each day for the week's court appointments, says Collins. Charles County IT director Richard A. Aldridge says it cost the county $12,500 to develop CourtDates. Nearby countries also will have access to this tool.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-
dyn/content/article/2007/04/20/AR
2007042002479.html
"Jail Ups Security Since Escape"
Columbus Dispatch (OH) (04/22/07) P. 1C; Hassett, Kelly
The Ross County, Ohio, jail has taken a number of steps to improve security in the aftermath of last July's high-profile escape of John W. Parsons, who was serving a life sentence for killing a Chillicothe police officer. For instance, the jail replaced the only camera in the recreation area, which was at least 10 years old and did not work. In addition, authorities added another camera in the center of the ceiling of the recreation area. The new camera is capable of turning 360 degrees and is protected with security casing. But there is still more work to be done. For instance, the Sheriffs Department's new body-orifice scanner, which is supposed to be able to detect metal anywhere in or on the body, failed to detect a hypodermic needle that was being smuggled in by an inmate this month. According to Sheriff Ron Nichols, the needle probably escaped detection by the scanner because it was wrapped in plastic. In light of that incident, Nichols said that his deputies will continue to physically screen inmates in addition to using the scanner.
http://wwwphp.dispatch.com
/text/stories/20070422-C1-02.php
"Gadget is Parolees' Last Call"
Tampa Tribune (04/21/07); Mullins, Richard
Facing crowded prisons and high costs of incarceration, judges are giving nonviolent offenders a choice: Wear a tracking bracelet or go to jail. Most have chosen the latter, in a new wave of monitoring devices that have allowed authorities to keep track of offenders without contributing to overcrowded jails. The bracelets are typically used for drunk driving convictions, but have also been used to monitor sexual predators. Advanced GPS technology enables parolees to stay on house arrest or in the case of alcohol detectors, monitor ethanol levels emitted by the body to track the offender's alcohol consumption. Some 34,000 people in the United States have been under Alcohol Monitoring Solutions' surveillance, the largest company in the tracking market. It costs roughly $1,300 to $2,000 monthly to incarcerate an individual, compared with the approximately $400 monthly cost of wearing a bracelet.
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro
/MGBDNZJIR0F.html
"Interrogations May Be Recorded"
Hartford Courant (CT) (04/21/07); Poitras, Colin
The Connecticut state Appropriations Committee has approved $100,000 per year of funding for a pilot program to install video surveillance in police interrogation rooms. If this provision passes, police interrogation areas in Connecticut will experience videotaping for the first time. Videotaping is in fact standard in most areas within police department buildings. The pilot program will help create clear evidence of interrogation sessions, which could be useful in court, says Chief State's Attorney Kevin Kane. The Innocence Project in New York reports that a number of large cities already do this, while Alaska, Maine, and Minnesota are states that require videotaping of interrogations for serious criminal cases. Innocence Project policy advocate Amanda Melpolder says one out of five wrongful convictions relied on dubious evidence gained through interrogation. Melpolder argues that electronic surveillance will improve court evidence.
http://www.highbeam.com/do
c/1Y1-105490455.html
"L.A. Gets Nation's Largest Crime Lab"
Daily News of Los Angeles (04/19/07) P. N4; Anderson, Troy
Los Angeles city and county officials have scheduled a May 11 official opening for the area's newest crime lab, the $102 million Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center at California State University, Los Angeles. The new, five-story facility will merge the existing LAPD and sheriff's labs and will help reduce the backlog of DNA samples and other evidence. The 209,080-square-foot forensic center will also accommodate classrooms from the university's School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics and the California Forensic Science Institute. The lab will provide evidence testing for all law enforcement agencies in the county via such means as DNA analysis and crime scene reenactments using computer programs. Scanning electron microscopes will help assess trace evidence, including gunshot residue and fire-scene substances. In addition, chemical processes and laser analysis will allow personnel to develop fingerprints on surfaces such as plastic bags, paper, and other surfaces that are usually incompatible with conventional powders. The new center will also have sufficient space for upwards of 70 DNA analysts, up from the existing 30 at the sheriff's lab, and will be able to accommodate 400 staff members; evidence from some 140,000 criminal cases is estimated to be submitted yearly for assessment. http://www.dailynews.com/news
/ci_5699612
"North Huntingdon Police Latest Department to Employ Taser Device"
Greensburg Tribune-Review (PA) (04/20/07); Kaufman, Dirk W.
Police officers in Penn Township, Pa., recently finalized training on the use of Tasers, five of which were recently purchased by the department. The devices cost about $800 each and were purchased using grant money. Two officers in the department who were certified as trainers in the use of Tasers trained all of the other officers. During the training, the officers had the option of being shot at with the device. Officials note that the Tasers are effective when officers just warn suspects about their use. "They have been used as a deterrent several times successfully," notes Penn Township police Chief Michael Mastroianni. "Once you put the red dot on a person and order them to cease and desist what they're doing, they stop." He adds that the Tasers are a powerful tool in safeguarding officers from harm. Currently, all 21 officers in the department carry the devices. Officers are required to record when they fire a Taser as well when it serves as a deterrent with discharging. Officials consider the devices as one of many types of deterrents, including billy clubs and special munitions. Officers at the Delmont police department are required to undergo yearly training at the Greensburg police department, which involves mandatory shooting of the device. Officials say although such training is costly, it allows officers to be familiar with the Taser's capabilities.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x
/tribunereview
/news/westmoreland/s_503388.html
"More Parolee GPS Tracking"
San Bernardino County Sun (CA) (04/17/07); Watson, George
San Bernardino County, Calif., officials would like to partake in a California program that links monitoring devices to parolees with gang connections. On April 17, the County Board of Supervisors voted to ask Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to be included in his pilot program. The program calls for parolees who had a gang-improvement conviction as part of their sentence have gadgets placed on their ankles, electronically connecting them to a GPS. It is not known how long it will take for San Bernardino County to find out whether it will be part of California's pilot program. Officials think the county is host to 300 gangs and over 13,000 gang members. Of those, a minimum of 2,000 are on parole. As part of the supervisors' April 17 vote, letters will be mailed to Sacramento supporting state Senate bills 390 and 657, in addition to Assembly Bill 360, all of which further fortify existing gang laws.
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_5691647
"Technology Cuts Response Time"
Raleigh News & Observer (NC) (04/17/07) P. B3; McDonald, Thomasi
On April 16 at Raleigh, N.C.'s Wake County Emergency Medical Services Training Center, a new vehicle monitoring system was introduced. Financed by a $1.1 million grant from the federal government, the system depends on GPS that will permit emergency dispatchers to send the nearest available emergency workers to a situation and allow law enforcement to talk with EMS on their way to a 911 call. The Automated Vehicle Tracking System will be employed in all emergency vehicles utilized by EMS, the Wake County Sheriff's Office, the City-County Bureau of Identification, and Animal Control. By employing one infrastructure, emergency vehicles will be able to answer a 911 call quicker, noted Wake EMS Chief Skip Kirkwood.
http://www.newsobserver.com
/114/story/564900.html
"Watching Workers: More Checkpoints Possible: Airport Screening Debated"
Tulsa World (OK) (04/11/07); Stewart, D.R.
The recent gun-smuggling scandal at Orlando International Airport has prompted widespread calls for airport and airline employees to be subjected to screening at airport security checkpoints, but some airport officials believe that this move would be unnecessary, disruptive, and burdensome. The Reason Foundation's director of transportation studies, Robert W. Poole Jr., offers several suggestions to significantly increase access control measures at airports while also ensuring that operations are not disrupted. Among these are requiring stronger background checks for airport employees--to the point where a criminal record of any kind would disqualify a job applicant from being hired anywhere on the airport. Poole also believes that special security checkpoints should be established. These checkpoints would have unique rules and procedures, be for airport employees only, and be manned by private security companies. Lastly, Poole calls for airport employee badges to be enhanced with biometrics, preventing anyone but the employee who holds the badge to access secure areas. Companies whose employees have these badges should be required to immediately turn in the badges of any employee whose job at the airport has ended or risk severe penalties, Poole says.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business
/article.aspx?articleID=070411_238_
E1_spanc46283
"Butler to Join County Crime Data System"
Dayton Daily News (OH) (04/19/07) P. Z3-15; Hulsey, Lynn
In Ohio, Butler County is linking up with Montgomery County's Criminal Justice Information System, a data warehouse that merges information from multiple sources. These sources include county and municipal courts as well as courts outside the county. Montgomery County Commissioners approved Butler County's entry into the system on April 10, which means Butler County will have to bear the cost of preparing its information to be ready for submission into the system. The cost of access is free for counties. Although the counties of Greene, Miami, and Preble joined earlier in 2007, Preble and Miami have yet to place any data into the system, which now holds some 2 million records, according to Joe Spitler, executive director of the criminal justice council for Montgomery County. Data on the system helps law enforcement, courts, children services, and adult protective service in verifying if an individual has had any interaction with the criminal justice system, including convictions, prison sentences, or pending charges. The addition of new counties to the system helps officials promptly find any evidence of suspects' criminal activity across county borders.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/
content/oh/story/news/local/neighbors
/2007/04/19/ddn041907z7computer.html
"City to Put Surveillance Cameras in Park"
Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN) (04/18/07) P. B1; Wang, Herman
On April 17, Chattanooga, Tenn., authorities stated the city is ready to spend as much as $660,000 for security cameras in its police cars and parks. Chattanooga will purchase 23 fixed cameras from Motorola to be erected in Coolidge and Renaissance parks and four mobile cameras to be placed in police cars. Police officers will be able to utilize laptops in their vehicles to access a wireless online program that will enable them to see images from every camera, Chattanooga CIO Mark Keil noted. Motorola representative Bob Randolph explained that the cameras can archive images that could be studied by law enforcement following an incident. "When cameras are installed, the biggest benefit is as a deterrent," he pointed out. "With the images, you have the ability to prosecute." Although the capital budget for the security cameras includes $660,000 to cover all of Chattanooga, the initial camera purchase for the city's North Shore area will cost $395,000. On April 24, the City Council will vote on the spending.
http://www.timesfreepress.com
/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?
articleid=13965&zoneid=77
"Centers to Help Agencies Share Information"
Herald-Sun (NC) (04/20/07); Freyvogel, Colleen
Federal and State law enforcement agencies are devising new strategies to effectively manage emergency situations. Fusion centers have been created as a coalition endeavor between social and federal agencies, safety officials, and state law enforcement members to create databases for emergency calls. Events such as Hurricane Katrina have illustrated deficiencies in systems of coordinating between federal and private sectors, while in the case of 9/11, technological lapses prevailed in failed attempts to call New York City. Veronique Pluviose-Fenton of the House Homeland Security Committee cites the government's endeavor to expand technology to efficiently communicate during crucial situations. With North Carolina's creation of the Information and Analysis center, Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) says both state and local governments are better prepared for 2007 in the event of a disaster.
http://www.heraldsun.com
"Appriss to Provide Sex-Offender Information to Law Enforcement Agencies"
Business First of Louisville (04/17/07)
Appriss has signed a deal with Watch Systems of New Orleans in which Appriss will be able to use Watch System's OffenderWatch database. OffenderWatch is a sex-offender registration database that is Web-based. It helps law enforcement authorities by incorporating the data from OffenderWatch with its current product offerings. Appriss manufactures criminal justice technology products and is well-known for its VINE system, which permits crime victims throughout the United States to acquire data concerning criminal cases and the custody status of violators around the clock by phone, the Internet, or email. For the past six years, Appriss has offered sex-offender notification services in numerous states. Appriss now notifies residents and companies when registered sex offenders move into their communities, although it does not directly offer information to law enforcement agencies, notes Appriss President Mike Davis. http://louisville.bizjournals.com
/louisville/stories/2007/04/16
/daily13.html
"Feds: Accuracy of Face Recognition Software Skyrockets"
LiveScience (04/13/07); Wood, Lamont
Face recognition software is 20 times better than it was five years ago, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. In NIST's latest results from its Face Recognition Vendor Test, the best face recognition algorithms had a rate of false rejections of 1 percent, compared with a failure to make correct comparisons 20 percent of the time in 2002. Speed is not a key characteristic of the algorithms, which make use of the single comparison approach, rather than compare every face in a database to every other face. "We fed the algorithms lots of data to get a statistically meaningful answer," explains Jonathon Phillips, an electrical engineer who directed the test. "Our goal was to encourage improvement in the technology, and provide decision makers with numbers that would let them make an educated assessment of the technology itself." With random lighting on each face, the rejection rate was about 12 percent, compared with 20 percent five years ago.
http://www.livescience.com
/technology/070413_face_re
cognition.html
"Expert: 'Flasher' Technology Digs Deeper for Digital Evidence"
Purdue University News (04/12/07); Medaris, Kim
Rick Mislan, Purdue assistant professor of computer and information technology and former U.S. Army electronic warfare officer, said a technology currently in use in Europe could potentially be used to help solve thousands of cybercrimes in the United States. The "flasher box" can be used to download and analyze every bit of information from a wide variety of cell phones, a huge advantage over current forensic techniques that requires investigators to issue specific commands and receive only information relating to the command. With the flasher box, investigators can download the entire contents of a cell phone for examination, including call history, text messages, contacts, and deleted images and videos. "Using a flasher box is like taking a snapshot of the cell phone," Mislan said. "This method shows a lot of promise." The content of the phone is downloaded and appears as a stream of letters and numbers that only requires a mathematical translation to turn the code into useable information. Mislan said the key to success with flasher boxes is finding the correct software and cables to match the wide variety of phones available on the market.
http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x
/2007a/070412MislanFlash.html
"Preparing for the Worst"
Police (03/07); Hamilton, Melanie
Local and county governments interested in further help with their emergency preparedness systems can turn to the latest online tool from the federal government, "The Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program" (HSEEP). Agencies on the local level can access the site and implement various scenarios and exercise drills in their local area to determine if their emergency response systems are adequate. The online tool also offers tips on designing standard policy, methodology, and language for all agencies at the local level. Agencies need to first set up policies and infrastructure that is uniform across the emergency response system, then assess individual targets in their region in terms of likely attack and resulting devastation. Once those tasks are completed, agencies can perform mock drills and engage the help of nearby agencies and other parties. Mock drills also need to be as realistic as possible, including the use of volunteers to play injured parties or those interested in helping others during a disaster. However, each agency involved must understand that clear, concise communications are a top priority if disasters are to be dealt with appropriately and quickly. Once drills are completed, agencies will want to conduct their own internal reviews to see what procedures were successful, which were minimally successful, and which failed completely. The audit will provide workers with areas to continue working on before a real emergency requires a response, but responders also need to keep abreast of how the interaction among agencies aided or hindered the responses given during the drill.
http://www.policemag.com/t_
cipick.cfm?rank=93858
"Each Police Chase Could Mean Change in Policy"
Bellevue Leader (04/18/07); Buzzell, Jason
In general, police departments rarely change their pursuit policies unless death or severe damage occurs; but at the Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska, that is not the case. The eight-page policy is gone over at the police academy and rigorously reviewed periodically to ensure that public safety is a number-one priority when pursuits occur. Officers are trained as recruits for eight-hour stretches when they first sign on with the department and for two-hour stretches periodically as veteran officers. However, officials note that not all chases are perfect; and when officers disobey protocols, they are disciplined accordingly per the instructions of a commander committee that reviews the actions of the officer in conjunction with the current policy rules. The department's pursuit policy was changed in February; and officers now are required to cease pursuit if apprehension is a viable option later on, suspects have crossed state lines, or commanders order the pursuit to stop. The debate over pursuit policy restrictions is heated; but with recent rulings from the Nebraska Supreme Court, which ruled that cities could be held liable for third-party injuries even after the pursuit ended, pursuit policies are carefully monitored for weaknesses.
http://www.bellevueleader.com
/site/tab3.cfm?newsid=1822152
2&BRD=2712&PAG=461&d
ept_id=559850&rfi=6
"Emergency Communications: Taking Command"
Government Security (03/07) Vol. 6, No. 1, P. 12; Carey, Carol
Three jurisdictions--Columbus, Ohio; San Diego, Calif.; and Washington, D.C.--demonstrated superior Tactical Interoperability Communications Plans (TICPs) that could serve as "best practice" models for areas developing emergency aid procedures. In Columbus, aggressively allocating 50 percent of the Urban Area Security Initiative and other grants toward communications made interoperability a priority. The city formed a Homeland Security Advisory Council to develop protocols, such as talk groups for various geographical zones and functions--like bomb squads and hospitals. A decade of forest fighting through mutual aid helped San Diego develop a TICP plan with superior coordination, involving not only police and fire departments, but also forestry services and the U.S. Coast Guard. The city's technology uses both mobile and fixed gateways; and because frequencies are pre-programmed into the radios, responders are able to quickly connect with one another, according to city officials. D.C.-area emergency staff can communicate anywhere in the country through national interoperability frequencies, and officials emphasize that speaking in "plain English," rather than in code, can facilitate communication among various agencies.
http://govtsecurity.com/mag
/emergency_communications
_responders/
Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.
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