Public Safety Technology in the News

Colorado to Deploy COPLINK in a Statewide Law Enforcement and Public Safety Information Sharing Initiative
PR Newswire, (10/23/2008)

Colorado is the latest state to deploy COPLINK® for information sharing. COPLINK allows information sharing and collaboration among local, state and national public safety agencies. Colorado agencies will be able to analyze information from databases from across the state. The system can help quickly identify criminal suspects and patterns to deter crime and thwart terrorism. With the addition of agencies in Colorado, COPLINK supports 1,600 jurisdictions in 20 states.
www.marketwatch.com/news/story/colorado-deploy-coplinkr-statewide-law/story.aspx?guid=%7BDF2D11EB-E653-4272-8884-7E1CD0791D4D%7D&dist=hppr

Progress is Minimal in Clearing DNA Cases
New York Times, (10/24/2008), Solomon Moore

Clearing the nationwide backlog of cases awaiting DNA analysis is progressing slowly in some areas. According to status reports filed by more than 100 agencies with the National Institute of Justice, progress varies among state and local law enforcement agencies who received federal money to reduce DNA backlogs beginning in 2004. About one-fourth of the 105 agencies received less money this year because they failed to meet spending goals. The problem is especially acute in Los Angeles, where the police department has an estimated backlog of 7,000 cases. In October, federal legislation was enacted that includes an additional $1.6 billion over six years to speed DNA analysis through hiring temporary crime lab workers, overtime pay and lab renovation.
www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/us/25dna.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Cities See Decrease in Crime With ShotSpotter
Norwalk Citizen-News, (10/24/2008), David Hennessey

One city police department in the Northeast that is using ShotSpotter is seeing a marked reduction in gunfire. ShotSpotter Gunshot Location System technology can pinpoint the location of a weapon discharge or explosion down to the foot. The technology triangulates the location of a sound and transmits data about the incident to computers. police in Rochester, N.Y., said the city has seen a 43 percent reduction in gunfire since they began using the technology in July 2006.
www.norwalkcitizen-news.com/topstories/ci_10805511

Reverse 911 System Used in Search for 77-Year-Old Woman
Brenham Banner-Press, (10/23/2008), Angela Hahn

Authorities recently used Reverse 911 to help search for an elderly Texas woman who had wandered away from home. Reverse 911 allows emergency services to quickly contact citizens with information. The family had been searching for the woman for a couple of hours before notifying police. After searching without success during the night, authorities activated the city of Brenham's Reverse 911 system. Residents who received the reverse 911 calls notified the communications department if they had seen the woman. She was later found unharmed.
www.brenhambanner.com/articles/2008/10/23/news/news02.txt

Retailers Use E-Mail Alert System to Thwart Theft Rings
Patriot Ledger, (10/25/2008), Steve Adams

New England retailers are fighting back against shoplifting by using an e-mail system to alert each other and law enforcement to sophisticated theft rings. Organized retail crime is costing merchants $30 billion a year. The Retailers Association of Massachusetts and retailers' groups from five other states have formed the law enforcement Retailer Alliance of New England. In the theft rings, shoplifters work in teams; some thieves act as lookouts while others pilfer merchandise. Retail groups want tough new laws to address the problem. Currently retail theft is not a felony under federal law unless the merchandise exceeds a value of $5,000 and are transported across state lines.
www.patriotledger.com/business/x1904370820/Retailers-use-e-mail-alert-system-to-thwart-theft-rings

Washington Seeks Tools to Fight Identify Thieves
Insurance Journal, (10/24/2008)

Washington state officials are seeking innovative ways to deter identity theft. At a meeting in October, 90 law enforcement officials, victims' advocates and representatives from the financial and retail industries discussed actions taken to date and ways to improve on those efforts. Suggestions made during the meeting include applying facial recognition software to all Washington driver's license photos and business licenses, appointing a special prosecutor to handle organized retail identify theft cases, developing a shared database for identify theft cases, and developing a new identity theft educational campaign targeting seniors, youth and businesses.
www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2008/10/24/94977.htm

Prison Officials Looking at Cell Phone Tracking technology
American Statesman, (10/30/2008), Mike Ward

The Texas Department of criminal Justice is reviewing technology to detect cell phones in prisons after inmates used cell phones to make thousands of calls. During a recent contraband sweep of the state's 112 state prisons, officials found 71 cell phones, including five from death row, and 65 chargers. A variety of detection systems are on the market. John Moriarty, the prison system's independent inspector general, said some systems use hard-wired antennas that intercept cell signals; others use portable equipment to locate the origin of the signal.
www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/10/30/1030cellhones.html

New Communications Tools Help Emergency Responders
CNN, (10/29/2008), Marsha Walton

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and technology (NIST) are working to improve emergency communications during disasters. Search-and-rescue robots used to help find survivors in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in New York on Sept. 11, 2001 could not go far into the debris because radio signals were lost. NIST researchers have deployed a robot in an old silica mine tunnel in northern California to test how far the robot could go before the communications signal failed. The tunnel research discovered a "sweet spot," which is a frequency in mines, subways and tunnels where radio signals travel farthest. The information could help researchers design wireless systems that are more likely to function in a disaster.
edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/10/29/disaster.communication/

Atlantic Beach Crime Information Will Be Online
The Leader, (10/25/2008), Jennifer Knoechel

Citizens in Atlantic Beach, Fla., will be able to keep track of crime in their community online. Using Crimereports.com, a map of Atlantic Beach will provide the type of crime and the block where it occurred. Photos of registered sex offenders living in the community will also be available. The city had considered developing its own system but found a vendor that could deliver the service for less money. The city's cost for the services is $99 per month.
www.beachesleader.com/articles/2008/10/24/beaches_leader/news/doc4901cf516134d906105116.txt