The Anderson Police Department, SC, is hosting an intensive 5-day Criminal Intelligence Analysis Course for intelligence officers and crime and intelligence analysts from August 18th to August 22nd 2008. The course will be presented by the Alpha Group Center for Crime and Intelligence Analysis and taught by Warren Sweeney, a thirty-year veteran of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and former Intelligence Analysis Coordinator for the RCMP Canadian Police College in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
This will be a "hands-on" course that takes a "learn-by-doing," practical approach to training. Students will actually perform tasks associated with intelligence analysis work. Each participant will also receive a copy of The Intelligence Analyst's Sourcebook. Written by Warren Sweeney, this manual explains how to conduct, prepare, and present intelligence to enhance the investigative and decision-making process.
Participants will be taught how to turn data into information; how to distinguish differences between Tactical, Strategic, and Operational Intelligence; how to overcome resistance to the intelligence process, how to establish links between people, organizations, and events; how to chart events, commodity flow, and activities within the criminal organization; how to present intelligence effectively in oral and written reports; how to use the power of the computer to assist the intelligence function; and money laundering secrets and techniques.
Tuition for the course is $525 and includes the week of instruction, the text, and related course materials. The course also fulfills the requirements of the California Department of Justice Certified Crime and Intelligence Analysis Program and may be used for Certification purposes. It is beneficial, but not required, to bring a laptop computer with you, which will permit the installation of a graphics program: ABC SnapGraphics 1.0.
To obtain a course brochure or to register for the course, please contact Katie Brown, Anderson County Sheriff's Office, 305 Camson Rd, Anderson SC 29625. You may also register by phone by calling Ms Brown at (864) 222-6601, or by faxing your registration form to her at (864) 260-4354. email contact is kgbrown@andersonsheriff.com. or Diana Olson of the Alpha Group at (909) 484-2169 or contact by e-mail at: crimecrush@aol.com.
Additional information about the content of the course can also be found on the Alpha Group website at www.alphagroupcenter.com
Showing posts with label computer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computer. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Public Safety Technology in the News
Digital Forensics: How Experts Uncover Doctored Images
Scientific American, (06/2008), Hany Farid
Fake photographs are nothing new, but advances in technology have made it easier to create doctored images and more difficult to detect them. In response, researchers are now advancing the technology used for the forensic analysis of digital images. For example, computer software may be used to analyze photographs for evidence of light source inconsistencies, cloned areas, and appropriate pixel correlations based on the alleged camera. The ability to authenticate digital photographs will support their submission as evidence in a court of law.
www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=digital-image-forensics
Long-Promised, Voice Commands Are Finally Going Mainstream
WIRED, (06/04/2008), Alexander Gelfand
Changes in the power of computers and processors are poised to change the state of voice recognition technology. The changes could bring voice recognition to the forefront in electronic security, as a validation tool or in user interfaces, and as an appliance option or everyday computer tool. The technology has been available since the 1950s, and with recent gains in programming the technology can interpret human speech more accurately. Commercial applications are already available for portable GPS units and vehicle applications. In Europe, a voice-controlled oven was recently released by Indesit. As a security measure a person's voice is as unique as a fingerprint or iris, so the use of voice recognition for phone or face-to-face applications can be more secure than username or password combinations, or even pin numbers.
www.wired.com/software/coolapps/news/2008/06/speech_tech
MSU Researcher Creates System Helping Police to Match Tattoos to Suspects
www.newsroom.msu.edu, (05/27/2008)
Biometrics is the ability to use an individual's anatomical or behavioral attributes for identification purposes. A researcher at Michigan State University has expanded that ability to include scars, marks, and tattoo recognition to aid in identifying individuals. Referred to as "Tattoo-ID," the software developed by Anil Jain uses databases of distinguishing marks supplied by the law enforcement community, and each image is linked to a criminal history for suspects and convicted criminals with similar marks. A search based on an image provided by the user will then produce results relating to similar tattoos, marks, or scars and the associated records for individuals that have those distinguishing marks. This can help law enforcement narrow searches based on these features.
www.newsroom.msu.edu/site/indexer/3407/content.htm
Computers Will Increase Ability to Enforce Law
Yuma Sun, (06/03/2008)
The Yuma County Sheriff's office, using unspecified Federal funding, is updating 50 patrol vehicles with new mobile data terminals (MDT). The computers will cost almost $200,000. To help reduce costs the department will use its own personnel to install and program the units. The MDTs being replaced allow the deputies to access motor vehicle records and crime databases, but the new units will allow quicker access to photos, and deputies will be able to complete reports from the field versus returning to the station.
www.yumasun.com/opinion/ability_42108___article.html/computers_enforce.html
Sagem Morpho Wins Biometric Identification Technology Award
BusinessWire, (06/02/2008)
At the 2008 Global Border Security Conference, Sagem Morpho, Inc. demonstrated its biometrics identification tool MorphFace Investigate (MFI) system. The system includes case management capabilities, biometric matching, and forensic evaluation tools to help with investigative tasks. It is capable of providing tools needed to match individuals where images are available via mug shot, motor vehicle records, or on a watch list using multiple type of source material.
www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080602006252&newsLang=en
Purdue Professor Schools Law Enforcement on Mac "Cyber Forensics"
ARS Technica, (06/03/2008), Chris Foresman
Purdue University's Director of Cyber Forensics, Dr. Marc Rogers, is providing officers from all over Indiana training on the forensics examination of Macintosh computers, iPods, and iPhones. The university's Cyber Forensics Lab, part of the College of Technology's Department of Computer and Information Technology, supports not only the graduate Cyber Forensics program, but is also used for research and provides assistance and training to all levels of law enforcement. The lab hopes to continue providing forensic investigators with increased knowledge regarding Macintosh operating systems and published information about the examination of Apple products.
arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/06/03/purdue-prof-schools-law-enforcement-on-mac-cyber-forensics
Law Enforcement - One-Stop Shopping for Tracking Criminals
The New York Times, (06/01/2008), Elsa Brenner
Space that was previously used by the Westchester County Department of Social Services as a homeless shelter is being repurposed as an information center to be used by law enforcement for crime analysis. In an effort to promote information sharing at all levels, the new Westchester Intelligence Center will be used by the county's 43 agencies, and be shared with other multijurisdictional county, State, and Federal agencies that operate in the county. The cost to convert the space was $280,000.
www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/01policewe.html?ref=nyregionspecial2
Texas City Uses Wireless IP Video for Crime Prevention Network
Security Products Online, (06/03/2008)
The city of Southlake, Texas, will become one more city to enlist the support of video surveillance on a wireless IP network as a crime prevention tool. Southlake has an "old-style town square," and using this type of technology was ideal for not disrupting the look and feel of the town square with obtrusive equipment. BigWave Communications was chosen to install and provide the service for this project by the city.
www.secprodonline.com/articles/63571/
Web 2.0 Sites a Thriving Marketplace for Malware
The Washington Post, (05/31/2008), Erik Larkin - PC World
The creation and distribution of malware is not illegal in the United States or abroad, but the actual act of using the program or software is illegal. Keeping that in mind, creator/vendors of the programs are using the Internet to advertise and sell their products on social networking sites, blogs, and even YouTube. However, the publicity being generated flies in the face of the conventional wisdom of not attracting attention when doing something questionable. The sites that are being used by the groups to advertise do have the impact of giving the law enforcement community a starting point for investigations and data gathering. Instances that involve the successful prosecution of vendors seem to be a rarity because proving the vendor had prior knowledge of criminal intent is very difficult.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/31/AR2008053100106.html
State Meth-Busters Get New Tool
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, (06/05/2008), Noel E. Oman
An electronic logbook called MethMonitor, created by LeadsOnLabs, is a new tool for the Arkansas Crime Information Center. This tool allows agencies, with staff dedicated to methamphetamine investigations, access to records via computer that were previously only available in hard copy at pharmacies. This tool can save officers time in their efforts to build such cases. For pharmacies, participation costs nothing, and the system is user friendly to help ensure participation. Only active for a few weeks, the system is already making an impact by helping in meth cases.
www.nwanews.com/adg/News/227754/
Scientific American, (06/2008), Hany Farid
Fake photographs are nothing new, but advances in technology have made it easier to create doctored images and more difficult to detect them. In response, researchers are now advancing the technology used for the forensic analysis of digital images. For example, computer software may be used to analyze photographs for evidence of light source inconsistencies, cloned areas, and appropriate pixel correlations based on the alleged camera. The ability to authenticate digital photographs will support their submission as evidence in a court of law.
www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=digital-image-forensics
Long-Promised, Voice Commands Are Finally Going Mainstream
WIRED, (06/04/2008), Alexander Gelfand
Changes in the power of computers and processors are poised to change the state of voice recognition technology. The changes could bring voice recognition to the forefront in electronic security, as a validation tool or in user interfaces, and as an appliance option or everyday computer tool. The technology has been available since the 1950s, and with recent gains in programming the technology can interpret human speech more accurately. Commercial applications are already available for portable GPS units and vehicle applications. In Europe, a voice-controlled oven was recently released by Indesit. As a security measure a person's voice is as unique as a fingerprint or iris, so the use of voice recognition for phone or face-to-face applications can be more secure than username or password combinations, or even pin numbers.
www.wired.com/software/coolapps/news/2008/06/speech_tech
MSU Researcher Creates System Helping Police to Match Tattoos to Suspects
www.newsroom.msu.edu, (05/27/2008)
Biometrics is the ability to use an individual's anatomical or behavioral attributes for identification purposes. A researcher at Michigan State University has expanded that ability to include scars, marks, and tattoo recognition to aid in identifying individuals. Referred to as "Tattoo-ID," the software developed by Anil Jain uses databases of distinguishing marks supplied by the law enforcement community, and each image is linked to a criminal history for suspects and convicted criminals with similar marks. A search based on an image provided by the user will then produce results relating to similar tattoos, marks, or scars and the associated records for individuals that have those distinguishing marks. This can help law enforcement narrow searches based on these features.
www.newsroom.msu.edu/site/indexer/3407/content.htm
Computers Will Increase Ability to Enforce Law
Yuma Sun, (06/03/2008)
The Yuma County Sheriff's office, using unspecified Federal funding, is updating 50 patrol vehicles with new mobile data terminals (MDT). The computers will cost almost $200,000. To help reduce costs the department will use its own personnel to install and program the units. The MDTs being replaced allow the deputies to access motor vehicle records and crime databases, but the new units will allow quicker access to photos, and deputies will be able to complete reports from the field versus returning to the station.
www.yumasun.com/opinion/ability_42108___article.html/computers_enforce.html
Sagem Morpho Wins Biometric Identification Technology Award
BusinessWire, (06/02/2008)
At the 2008 Global Border Security Conference, Sagem Morpho, Inc. demonstrated its biometrics identification tool MorphFace Investigate (MFI) system. The system includes case management capabilities, biometric matching, and forensic evaluation tools to help with investigative tasks. It is capable of providing tools needed to match individuals where images are available via mug shot, motor vehicle records, or on a watch list using multiple type of source material.
www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080602006252&newsLang=en
Purdue Professor Schools Law Enforcement on Mac "Cyber Forensics"
ARS Technica, (06/03/2008), Chris Foresman
Purdue University's Director of Cyber Forensics, Dr. Marc Rogers, is providing officers from all over Indiana training on the forensics examination of Macintosh computers, iPods, and iPhones. The university's Cyber Forensics Lab, part of the College of Technology's Department of Computer and Information Technology, supports not only the graduate Cyber Forensics program, but is also used for research and provides assistance and training to all levels of law enforcement. The lab hopes to continue providing forensic investigators with increased knowledge regarding Macintosh operating systems and published information about the examination of Apple products.
arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/06/03/purdue-prof-schools-law-enforcement-on-mac-cyber-forensics
Law Enforcement - One-Stop Shopping for Tracking Criminals
The New York Times, (06/01/2008), Elsa Brenner
Space that was previously used by the Westchester County Department of Social Services as a homeless shelter is being repurposed as an information center to be used by law enforcement for crime analysis. In an effort to promote information sharing at all levels, the new Westchester Intelligence Center will be used by the county's 43 agencies, and be shared with other multijurisdictional county, State, and Federal agencies that operate in the county. The cost to convert the space was $280,000.
www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/01policewe.html?ref=nyregionspecial2
Texas City Uses Wireless IP Video for Crime Prevention Network
Security Products Online, (06/03/2008)
The city of Southlake, Texas, will become one more city to enlist the support of video surveillance on a wireless IP network as a crime prevention tool. Southlake has an "old-style town square," and using this type of technology was ideal for not disrupting the look and feel of the town square with obtrusive equipment. BigWave Communications was chosen to install and provide the service for this project by the city.
www.secprodonline.com/articles/63571/
Web 2.0 Sites a Thriving Marketplace for Malware
The Washington Post, (05/31/2008), Erik Larkin - PC World
The creation and distribution of malware is not illegal in the United States or abroad, but the actual act of using the program or software is illegal. Keeping that in mind, creator/vendors of the programs are using the Internet to advertise and sell their products on social networking sites, blogs, and even YouTube. However, the publicity being generated flies in the face of the conventional wisdom of not attracting attention when doing something questionable. The sites that are being used by the groups to advertise do have the impact of giving the law enforcement community a starting point for investigations and data gathering. Instances that involve the successful prosecution of vendors seem to be a rarity because proving the vendor had prior knowledge of criminal intent is very difficult.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/31/AR2008053100106.html
State Meth-Busters Get New Tool
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, (06/05/2008), Noel E. Oman
An electronic logbook called MethMonitor, created by LeadsOnLabs, is a new tool for the Arkansas Crime Information Center. This tool allows agencies, with staff dedicated to methamphetamine investigations, access to records via computer that were previously only available in hard copy at pharmacies. This tool can save officers time in their efforts to build such cases. For pharmacies, participation costs nothing, and the system is user friendly to help ensure participation. Only active for a few weeks, the system is already making an impact by helping in meth cases.
www.nwanews.com/adg/News/227754/
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Public Safety Technology in the News
Idaho Lab Develops a Quicker Way to Catch a Thief
The Columbian, (04/28/2008), Todd Dvorak
A faster and possibly cheaper method of human identification using antibodies, unique to everyone, has been developed by Federal researchers. However, proponents want to stress this new method is not designed to replace present DNA testing. These antibodies can be found in bodily fluid and are used by the body to fight disease or assist in any number of other bodily functions. The technology to conduct this testing has been licensed to Identity Sciences LLC, and by fall 2009 the company anticipates providing testing kits and training to the law enforcement, military, and forensic communities worldwide.
news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04282008news310529.cfm?modifyFont=L
Microsoft Helps Law Enforcement Get Around Encryption
PC World, (04/29/2008), Nancy Gohring
Encryption software use by cyber criminals is increasing, and in an effort to assist law enforcement in getting around such technology, Microsoft has developed the Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE) toolkit. Microsoft first released the product last June for free and it is now in use by roughly 2,000 agents worldwide. This software, made up of 150 tools, can be stored on a USB flash drive for use at the scene of a crime. This mobility and portability can prevent officers from having to turn off a computer, which can result in lost data. Also, processing a computer with COFEE can take about 20 minutes, versus previous methods that produced results in 3 to 4 hours.
www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145318/microsoft_helps_law_enforcement_get_around_enc
Dallas-Area Law Enforcement Agencies Unveiling Online Services to Share Local Crime Reports
The Dallas Morning News, (05/02/2008), Richard Abshire
The Plano Police Department hopes that keeping the community informed regarding crimes that occur near churches, homes, or schools will be key in developing strong working relations with the citizens they serve. Citizens can sign up to receive e-mail alerts using a system that is accessible through the crimereports.com website. The system can also provide the public with access to incident reports by location on a map, along with a description of the crime and other related information. This can be useful for Neighborhood Watch groups and coordinators, as well as free up time relating to routine requests for records.
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/plano/stories/DN-planopd_02met.ART.North.Edition1.46e5342.html
Simulator Trains Police for the Worst
KAAL TV, (05/01/2008), Jackie Orozco
Simulators offer officers and cadets a safe place to learn and prepare for the volatile and nastiest situations their job can offer. As real-life situations such as college campus or school shootings become more common, the simulator can be updated to include the situation as part of the training scenarios. Officers and cadets are provided with a special 9mm weapon and expected to verbally interact with the scenario as it takes place. The simulator is also capable of shooting back at participants and plans are in place to add a "recoil pack" to the 9mm to offer even more realism to the experience.
kaaltv.com/article/stories/S430530.shtml?cat=10151
Technology Deters Bank Robberies
Madison County Journal, (05/01/2008), Staff Reporter
Would-be bank robbers in Madison County (Mississippi) are facing deterrent mechanisms of the high-tech kind with digital surveillance and the low-tech kind with common courtesy or "Southern hospitality." Area banks, while working with law enforcement, have installed digital surveillance to achieve higher resolution images of most bank patrons. However, banks are also finding that being courteous and welcoming bank patrons as they enter can also have a deterrent effect and give would-be robbers a moment of pause. Another alternative deterrent method is banks implementing "dress codes" that forbid the wearing of hoods or clothing that can conceal a person's identity.
www.onlinemadison.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=20188&TM=18291.84
Google Adapts YouTube's Copyright-ID Technology to Combat Child-Porn
International Business Times, (05/01/2008), Vivek Gangjee
Google is working to fight child pornography. Google engineers have repurposed a video and image analysis tool used to identify and remove copyright-protected videos from its YouTube site. Google has partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to test the technology, which will identify patterns in still images and videos. NCMEC can use the analysis to track down predators. The tools have been developed to help NCMEC arrange and index its data, as well as cross-reference historical data, for better, more efficient handling of new images and footage submitted to the center. The goal of this technology and the partnership is to make it more difficult for predators to use the Web to exploit children or traffic child pornography.
in.ibtimes.com/articles/20080501/google-child-pornography-youtube-copyright-technology-ncmec.htm
Amber Alert Technology Will be Used to Notify Public of Officer's death in Line of Duty
Suncoast News, (05/06/2008), Associated Press
A 56 percent increase in officer deaths across Florida has prompted an executive order that indicates that the State's Amber Alert system will be activated in the event of an officer being wounded or killed in the line of duty. The alerts will broadcast when an officer has been reported down and provide further information regarding the incident.
www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp?S=8276061&nav=menu577_2_1
The Camera That Wears a Badge
The New York Times, (05/04/2008), Joe Sharkey
Photo enforcement to catch red-light runners or speeders has all but eliminated the need for law enforcement to hide behind bushes and billboards waiting to stop motorists. However, with the implementation of photo enforcement has also come some unexpected results such as an increase in citations to rental companies. When the rental companies receive these fines they pay the fee and then charge the customer the fine plus a processing fee. Also, in anticipation of the revenue from the cameras, some municipalities are rewriting motor vehicle codes so that such violations are treated like parking tickets with no points being issued. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which supports camera use, feels the cameras assist the law enforcement community, whose resources are stretched, keep up with vehicle violations. But motorists are using the Web to find services offered by Njection or Trapster to locate both manned and photo-enforcement locations.
www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/business/04bug.html?ref=technology
Street Sweeper Cameras Get OK
Washington Times, (05/07/2008), David C. Lipscomb
The District of Columbia Council recently passed legislation to allow the installment of license plate scanning cameras on the city's fleet of 20 street sweepers. Initially, two sweepers will be outfitted for testing prior to the entire fleet being updated. The cameras will allow the Department of Public Works to be more proficient in ticketing violators who park on street-cleaning routes. For the first 45days after cameras are installed, violators will receive warnings. After the 45-day grace period ends, violators will receive a $30 ticket in the mail.
www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080507/METRO/684495592&SearchID=73317047977076
The Columbian, (04/28/2008), Todd Dvorak
A faster and possibly cheaper method of human identification using antibodies, unique to everyone, has been developed by Federal researchers. However, proponents want to stress this new method is not designed to replace present DNA testing. These antibodies can be found in bodily fluid and are used by the body to fight disease or assist in any number of other bodily functions. The technology to conduct this testing has been licensed to Identity Sciences LLC, and by fall 2009 the company anticipates providing testing kits and training to the law enforcement, military, and forensic communities worldwide.
news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04282008news310529.cfm?modifyFont=L
Microsoft Helps Law Enforcement Get Around Encryption
PC World, (04/29/2008), Nancy Gohring
Encryption software use by cyber criminals is increasing, and in an effort to assist law enforcement in getting around such technology, Microsoft has developed the Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE) toolkit. Microsoft first released the product last June for free and it is now in use by roughly 2,000 agents worldwide. This software, made up of 150 tools, can be stored on a USB flash drive for use at the scene of a crime. This mobility and portability can prevent officers from having to turn off a computer, which can result in lost data. Also, processing a computer with COFEE can take about 20 minutes, versus previous methods that produced results in 3 to 4 hours.
www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/145318/microsoft_helps_law_enforcement_get_around_enc
Dallas-Area Law Enforcement Agencies Unveiling Online Services to Share Local Crime Reports
The Dallas Morning News, (05/02/2008), Richard Abshire
The Plano Police Department hopes that keeping the community informed regarding crimes that occur near churches, homes, or schools will be key in developing strong working relations with the citizens they serve. Citizens can sign up to receive e-mail alerts using a system that is accessible through the crimereports.com website. The system can also provide the public with access to incident reports by location on a map, along with a description of the crime and other related information. This can be useful for Neighborhood Watch groups and coordinators, as well as free up time relating to routine requests for records.
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/plano/stories/DN-planopd_02met.ART.North.Edition1.46e5342.html
Simulator Trains Police for the Worst
KAAL TV, (05/01/2008), Jackie Orozco
Simulators offer officers and cadets a safe place to learn and prepare for the volatile and nastiest situations their job can offer. As real-life situations such as college campus or school shootings become more common, the simulator can be updated to include the situation as part of the training scenarios. Officers and cadets are provided with a special 9mm weapon and expected to verbally interact with the scenario as it takes place. The simulator is also capable of shooting back at participants and plans are in place to add a "recoil pack" to the 9mm to offer even more realism to the experience.
kaaltv.com/article/stories/S430530.shtml?cat=10151
Technology Deters Bank Robberies
Madison County Journal, (05/01/2008), Staff Reporter
Would-be bank robbers in Madison County (Mississippi) are facing deterrent mechanisms of the high-tech kind with digital surveillance and the low-tech kind with common courtesy or "Southern hospitality." Area banks, while working with law enforcement, have installed digital surveillance to achieve higher resolution images of most bank patrons. However, banks are also finding that being courteous and welcoming bank patrons as they enter can also have a deterrent effect and give would-be robbers a moment of pause. Another alternative deterrent method is banks implementing "dress codes" that forbid the wearing of hoods or clothing that can conceal a person's identity.
www.onlinemadison.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=20188&TM=18291.84
Google Adapts YouTube's Copyright-ID Technology to Combat Child-Porn
International Business Times, (05/01/2008), Vivek Gangjee
Google is working to fight child pornography. Google engineers have repurposed a video and image analysis tool used to identify and remove copyright-protected videos from its YouTube site. Google has partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to test the technology, which will identify patterns in still images and videos. NCMEC can use the analysis to track down predators. The tools have been developed to help NCMEC arrange and index its data, as well as cross-reference historical data, for better, more efficient handling of new images and footage submitted to the center. The goal of this technology and the partnership is to make it more difficult for predators to use the Web to exploit children or traffic child pornography.
in.ibtimes.com/articles/20080501/google-child-pornography-youtube-copyright-technology-ncmec.htm
Amber Alert Technology Will be Used to Notify Public of Officer's death in Line of Duty
Suncoast News, (05/06/2008), Associated Press
A 56 percent increase in officer deaths across Florida has prompted an executive order that indicates that the State's Amber Alert system will be activated in the event of an officer being wounded or killed in the line of duty. The alerts will broadcast when an officer has been reported down and provide further information regarding the incident.
www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp?S=8276061&nav=menu577_2_1
The Camera That Wears a Badge
The New York Times, (05/04/2008), Joe Sharkey
Photo enforcement to catch red-light runners or speeders has all but eliminated the need for law enforcement to hide behind bushes and billboards waiting to stop motorists. However, with the implementation of photo enforcement has also come some unexpected results such as an increase in citations to rental companies. When the rental companies receive these fines they pay the fee and then charge the customer the fine plus a processing fee. Also, in anticipation of the revenue from the cameras, some municipalities are rewriting motor vehicle codes so that such violations are treated like parking tickets with no points being issued. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which supports camera use, feels the cameras assist the law enforcement community, whose resources are stretched, keep up with vehicle violations. But motorists are using the Web to find services offered by Njection or Trapster to locate both manned and photo-enforcement locations.
www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/business/04bug.html?ref=technology
Street Sweeper Cameras Get OK
Washington Times, (05/07/2008), David C. Lipscomb
The District of Columbia Council recently passed legislation to allow the installment of license plate scanning cameras on the city's fleet of 20 street sweepers. Initially, two sweepers will be outfitted for testing prior to the entire fleet being updated. The cameras will allow the Department of Public Works to be more proficient in ticketing violators who park on street-cleaning routes. For the first 45days after cameras are installed, violators will receive warnings. After the 45-day grace period ends, violators will receive a $30 ticket in the mail.
www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080507/METRO/684495592&SearchID=73317047977076
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Dane County, Wisconsin, Arrest Policies Project: A Process Evaluation
The Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies Program encourages jurisdictions to implement mandatory or pro-arrest policies as an effective domestic violence intervention that is part of a coordinated community response. Congress appropriated funds for the Arrest Program under the Violence Against Women Act (1994). The Program assumes that the arrest of a batterer will leverage the coercive and persuasive power of the criminal justice system to ensure victim safety and manage the behavior of abusive, violent offenders. Ensuring victim safety and offender accountability are the guiding principles underlying the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies. The Violence Against Women Act directs that the Arrest Program funds be used to:
Implement mandatory arrest or pro-arrest programs and policies in police departments, including mandatory arrest programs or pro-arrest program and polices for protection order violations
Develop policies and training programs in police departments and other criminal justice and tribal agencies to improve tracking of cases involving domestic violence
Centralize and coordinate police enforcement, prosecution, probation, parole or judicial responsibility for domestic violence cases in groups or units of police officers, prosecutors, probation and parole officers or judges
Coordinate computer tracking systems to ensure communication between police, prosecutors, and both criminal and family courts
Strengthen legal advocacy service programs for victims of domestic violence by providing complete information and support for a victim of domestic violence as the case against her abuser moves through the criminal justice system
Educate judges, and others responsible for judicial handling of domestic violence cases, in criminal, tribal, and other courts about domestic violence to improve judicial handling of such cases.
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/201884.pdf
Implement mandatory arrest or pro-arrest programs and policies in police departments, including mandatory arrest programs or pro-arrest program and polices for protection order violations
Develop policies and training programs in police departments and other criminal justice and tribal agencies to improve tracking of cases involving domestic violence
Centralize and coordinate police enforcement, prosecution, probation, parole or judicial responsibility for domestic violence cases in groups or units of police officers, prosecutors, probation and parole officers or judges
Coordinate computer tracking systems to ensure communication between police, prosecutors, and both criminal and family courts
Strengthen legal advocacy service programs for victims of domestic violence by providing complete information and support for a victim of domestic violence as the case against her abuser moves through the criminal justice system
Educate judges, and others responsible for judicial handling of domestic violence cases, in criminal, tribal, and other courts about domestic violence to improve judicial handling of such cases.
READ ON
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/201884.pdf
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
PaCom Helps Establish Transnational Crime Unit in Micronesia
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
April 29, 2008 - A new transnational crime unit U.S. Pacific Command is helping to establish in Micronesia will support a multinational crackdown on drug trafficking and other crimes that have the potential to destabilize the region, a senior military official said yesterday. The Micronesia Regional Transnational Unit opened April 23 in Pohnpei, Micronesia, to promote information sharing critical to stemming the flow of drugs, particularly methamphetamines, throughout Asia and the Pacific, Navy Rear Adm. Paul F. Zukunft, commander of Joint Interagency Task Force West, told American Forces Press Service.
JIATF West, U.S. Pacific Command's element focused on drug-related threats in the region, provided $460,000 to refurbish a 10,000-square-foot facility and equip it with communications and computer equipment, Zukunft said.
The task force also is training operators at the new facility "to, in simplistic terms, connect the dots to look at emerging trends," Zukunft said. The Australian National Police will provide a full-time mentor to support the unit for the first year.
Operators in the unit represent not just the Federated States of Micronesia, but also the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, and Palau. "So this unit is really transnational in its composition," Zukunft said.
The unit is the sixth in the region, all linked to the Australian Federal Police's Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Center in Samoa. Other units are in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.
Intelligence gathered through the new unit will support Micronesia's three patrol boats, provided through Australia's Pacific Patrol Boat Program to monitor against ocean-borne threats. "Absent acute information, it is very cost-ineffective to just send those patrol boats out at random without any advance knowledge of where the threats might exist in the ocean," Zukunft said. "Information is key."
Collectively, the network of facilities will build a more proactive criminal intelligence and investigative presence in the Pacific that's critical in light of criminal elements who operate across borders, Zukunft said.
"What we are trying to do is support a network that will support the multinational sharing of information, since a lot of these transnational crime activities are truly global enterprises," he said. In addition, many have nearly unlimited resources, which he said "puts law enforcement, obviously, at an extreme disadvantage."
Zukunft cited a strong correlation between areas with high drug-interdiction rates and those with strong information-sharing protocols that bolster law enforcement capability.
This, in turn, supports good governance that discourages transnational criminals.
"The bad guys typically will look for paths of least resistance, where rule of law is weak," Zukunft said. "It is an opportunity for them to exploit, ... and that's what we are working to prevent."
JIATF West has been supporting the U.S. counterdrug effort since 1989, when it was established as Joint Task Force 5 with headquarters in Alameda, Calif. It was redesignated JIATF West in 1994, then moved four years ago to Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.
There, it is collocated with the PaCom headquarters and focuses on drug-related threats in Asia and the Pacific.
American Forces Press Service
April 29, 2008 - A new transnational crime unit U.S. Pacific Command is helping to establish in Micronesia will support a multinational crackdown on drug trafficking and other crimes that have the potential to destabilize the region, a senior military official said yesterday. The Micronesia Regional Transnational Unit opened April 23 in Pohnpei, Micronesia, to promote information sharing critical to stemming the flow of drugs, particularly methamphetamines, throughout Asia and the Pacific, Navy Rear Adm. Paul F. Zukunft, commander of Joint Interagency Task Force West, told American Forces Press Service.
JIATF West, U.S. Pacific Command's element focused on drug-related threats in the region, provided $460,000 to refurbish a 10,000-square-foot facility and equip it with communications and computer equipment, Zukunft said.
The task force also is training operators at the new facility "to, in simplistic terms, connect the dots to look at emerging trends," Zukunft said. The Australian National Police will provide a full-time mentor to support the unit for the first year.
Operators in the unit represent not just the Federated States of Micronesia, but also the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, and Palau. "So this unit is really transnational in its composition," Zukunft said.
The unit is the sixth in the region, all linked to the Australian Federal Police's Pacific Transnational Crime Coordination Center in Samoa. Other units are in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.
Intelligence gathered through the new unit will support Micronesia's three patrol boats, provided through Australia's Pacific Patrol Boat Program to monitor against ocean-borne threats. "Absent acute information, it is very cost-ineffective to just send those patrol boats out at random without any advance knowledge of where the threats might exist in the ocean," Zukunft said. "Information is key."
Collectively, the network of facilities will build a more proactive criminal intelligence and investigative presence in the Pacific that's critical in light of criminal elements who operate across borders, Zukunft said.
"What we are trying to do is support a network that will support the multinational sharing of information, since a lot of these transnational crime activities are truly global enterprises," he said. In addition, many have nearly unlimited resources, which he said "puts law enforcement, obviously, at an extreme disadvantage."
Zukunft cited a strong correlation between areas with high drug-interdiction rates and those with strong information-sharing protocols that bolster law enforcement capability.
This, in turn, supports good governance that discourages transnational criminals.
"The bad guys typically will look for paths of least resistance, where rule of law is weak," Zukunft said. "It is an opportunity for them to exploit, ... and that's what we are working to prevent."
JIATF West has been supporting the U.S. counterdrug effort since 1989, when it was established as Joint Task Force 5 with headquarters in Alameda, Calif. It was redesignated JIATF West in 1994, then moved four years ago to Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.
There, it is collocated with the PaCom headquarters and focuses on drug-related threats in Asia and the Pacific.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Public Safety Technology in the News
Online Missing Persons System Unveiled
The Daily Gazette, (04/07/2008), Carl Scribner
In conjunction with the seventh annual New York State Missing Persons Day, specialists from the University of North Texas, Center for Human Identification, gave a presentation on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS) database. The system, operated by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), will be available in 2009 and will act as a central warehouse of records on unidentified remains and missing person reports. System data will be searched for any possible matches. The system will also use DNA, gathered from a family member, as a part of the identification process. NIJ plans to provide sample collection kits, requiring a swab inside the mouth of a family member, to family members free of charge. The public can log on to www.namus.gov to view and tour the site and preview the records currently on the system.
www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/apr/07/0407_database/
FBI Unveils N-DEx Rollout
Government Computer News, (04/02/2008), Wilson P. Dizard III
The first increment of the National Data Exchange (N-Dex) Network System has been launched. N-Dex is sponsored by the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Division. This first increment will allow 50,000 users access to a system that provides Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement with the ability to share information that is presently housed in individual agency data systems. Working with law enforcement nationwide, the FBI and Raytheon established the needs of the users and implemented these capabilities in the N-Dex system, which is scheduled for incremental release over the next 3 years. Raytheon indicates that the system will eventually support 200,000 investigators from about 18,000 agencies across Federal, State, tribal, and local jurisdictions.
www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/46052-1.html
Internet Scams Cost Consumers $240M
The Mercury News, (04/06/2008), Christine Simmons
The number of reported Internet scams was down last year in comparison to past years, but the dollar amount lost was up by $40 million, to a new high of $240 million, according to a government report that used data gathered from the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Other statistics from the report indicate an increase in ploys that involved pets, check cashing, and online dating. Furthermore, the amount lost by males was on average higher than females, and the overall amount lost increased with age.
www.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_8829968
Electronic Ticketing System Puts Police in the Fast Lane
Journal & Courier, (04/02/2008), Dorothy Schneider
Indiana State Police in West Lafayette adopted the use of e-ticketing earlier this year, which allows officers to scan licenses, capture images, and print citations from their cruiser. Once they find funding, other local departments hope to tap into the technology to support the purchase and use of such a system. The system has reduced the amount of time spent by officers issuing citations and warning by about half.
www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080402/NEWS/804020334
Kansas City Crime Lab Gets New Technology
KCTV Kansas City, (04/03/2008)
The Kansas City (Missouri) Crime Lab has received U.S. Department of Justice funding to help with investigating crimes in the city. One grant has helped the lab hire a full-time network caseworker to handle investigations that involve shell casing evidence. These casing can be checked against the National Ballistics Information Network. The second grant has helped the city purchase two new DNA robots that are capable of collecting and analyzing DNA evidence efficiently.
www.kctv5.com/news/15787833/detail.html
DNA Project Proves Effective in Case of Missing Stewartville Teenager
Post-Bulletin, (04/04/2008), Janice Gregorson
The year-old Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's Missing Persons DNA Project, designed to assist with identifying matches between missing people and unidentified remains, registered its first successful match between a missing teen and year old remains found in Florida. The process relies on DNA fingerprinting to make the matches. This project allows the family of a missing person to obtain closure, while assisting individual departments in solving cases and using resources effectively.
www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=335852
Old Room, New Purpose
MonroeNews.com, (04/04/2008)
Monroe County (Michigan) Sheriff Tilman Crutchfield is repurposing the vacant central dispatch room and creating a secure crime lab for his new crime unit. Since the department has investigators trained in the field of forensic computer examination, the department felt that the empty space would give investigators the space necessary to perform their tasks. Although the most prevalent computer crimes are those involving sexual predators, computer crime expands beyond that area. For example, one case being investigated by the unit began online with words and threats, but escalated to an actual physical assault. The creation of this unit signals a shift toward fighting crime of a specialized nature.
www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080404/NEWS01/506322489/-1/NEWS
The Value of Video System Allows Inmates to Appear in Court Without Ever Leaving Jail
The Eagle-Tribune, James A. Kimble
The installation and use of video conferencing in the Rockingham County (New Hampshire) Superior Court is the subject of debate. Prosecutors and jail officials believe it is needed from a cost savings and improved security standpoint. However, superior court officials see it as useless and costly. Rockingham County jail spends $275 a month on its system, which is wired with district courts in Salem and Portsmouth. Because of the belief in the effectiveness of the system, the Portsmouth District Court was brought onboard using $20,000 in funding from the jails budget. With the rise in the cost of gas and the amount of time needed to transport prisoners, jail officials and county attorneys feel the savings to the county would be significant, especially for those court appearances that are mandatory, but brief in nature. The superior court did have a system in place in 2001; however, the system was only in one court room, and setting up the system and shuttling judges from o! ne court to another was not timely or efficient. For these reasons the system was not used effectively, and was eventually dropped. However, because of changes in costs to support the system, rising gas costs, and the added security the system would provide, prosecutors and jail officials feel it is time to reevaluate the technology's use in the superior court.
www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_096213634.html?keyword=secondarystory
Firearms Training Simulator Gives Police Recruits Experience With Guns in Tough Situations
Daily Freeman, (04/14/2008), Kyle Wind
Using a simulator purchased by Ulster County Community College, the Ulster County (New York) police academy trains officers and recruits on how to handle tough situations. The scenarios on the system are taken from 500 to 600 real-life situations from throughout the country. System equipment includes a retrofitted 9mm Glock pistol that is connected to the computer, and the computer projects the scenario to a wall or screen. Because the system is connected to the weapon, it can track the officer's shots, as well as muzzle location. This is useful when demonstrating to recruits exact muzzle location during a situation and the concept of muzzle drift. The scenarios also help to improve the trainees' powers of observation, but most importantly they learn in the controlled chaos of the simulation, when it is okay to make mistakes in order to learn. Future features of the system will allow officers the chance to train using less-than-lethal alternatives.
www.dailyfreeman.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19481099&BRD=1769&PAG=461&dept_id=74969&rfi=6
Lynchburg Police Disappointed Over Silent Partner Alert System Response
The News & Advance, (04/01/2008), Carrie Sidener
Five hundred citizens have signed up to participate in the Silent Partner Alert system implemented by the Lynchburg Police Department 2 years ago, as opposed to the thousands that the department believed would sign up. The system provides the department with the ability to send mass e-mail messages to subscribers with information about anything from robberies and car crashes on major roads to missing person alerts. The messages can be sent to PDAs, computers, Blackberries, cell phones, or other devices capable of receiving e-mail. Because of the speed with which these alerts can be sent, they can help police solve a crime. Lynchburg was the second department to sign up for the service; currently seven departments in Virginia participate.
www.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/lynchburg_police_disappointed_over_silent_partner_alert_system_response/3831/
Threats Go High-Tech
The Herald, (04/13/2008), Julia Reynolds
The new canvas for threatening gang graffiti is proving to be hard for police to patrol. Gangs are using the Internet, and specifically sites like YouTube. Police can pull a video from the site quickly if it is identified as a violation of policy. However, for police to act on these threats, the act must "cause victims to fear for their safety," according to Monterey County Deputy Assistant District Attorney Terry Spitz. Another issue is lack of enough resources for police to patrol not only sites like YouTube, but the Web as a whole. Salinas (California) police have a unit of computer forensic investigators that can work on such threats, but unit staff must also handle homicides or other major crime. If during the course of an investigation the threats seem credible, staff notify the victim, but this action is not required by law. These postings can, however, be used by detectives to gather information about local gangs, or as evidence should a crime occur.
origin1.montereyherald.com/news/ci_8909961?nclick_check=1
The Daily Gazette, (04/07/2008), Carl Scribner
In conjunction with the seventh annual New York State Missing Persons Day, specialists from the University of North Texas, Center for Human Identification, gave a presentation on the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS) database. The system, operated by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), will be available in 2009 and will act as a central warehouse of records on unidentified remains and missing person reports. System data will be searched for any possible matches. The system will also use DNA, gathered from a family member, as a part of the identification process. NIJ plans to provide sample collection kits, requiring a swab inside the mouth of a family member, to family members free of charge. The public can log on to www.namus.gov to view and tour the site and preview the records currently on the system.
www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/apr/07/0407_database/
FBI Unveils N-DEx Rollout
Government Computer News, (04/02/2008), Wilson P. Dizard III
The first increment of the National Data Exchange (N-Dex) Network System has been launched. N-Dex is sponsored by the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Division. This first increment will allow 50,000 users access to a system that provides Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement with the ability to share information that is presently housed in individual agency data systems. Working with law enforcement nationwide, the FBI and Raytheon established the needs of the users and implemented these capabilities in the N-Dex system, which is scheduled for incremental release over the next 3 years. Raytheon indicates that the system will eventually support 200,000 investigators from about 18,000 agencies across Federal, State, tribal, and local jurisdictions.
www.gcn.com/online/vol1_no1/46052-1.html
Internet Scams Cost Consumers $240M
The Mercury News, (04/06/2008), Christine Simmons
The number of reported Internet scams was down last year in comparison to past years, but the dollar amount lost was up by $40 million, to a new high of $240 million, according to a government report that used data gathered from the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Other statistics from the report indicate an increase in ploys that involved pets, check cashing, and online dating. Furthermore, the amount lost by males was on average higher than females, and the overall amount lost increased with age.
www.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_8829968
Electronic Ticketing System Puts Police in the Fast Lane
Journal & Courier, (04/02/2008), Dorothy Schneider
Indiana State Police in West Lafayette adopted the use of e-ticketing earlier this year, which allows officers to scan licenses, capture images, and print citations from their cruiser. Once they find funding, other local departments hope to tap into the technology to support the purchase and use of such a system. The system has reduced the amount of time spent by officers issuing citations and warning by about half.
www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080402/NEWS/804020334
Kansas City Crime Lab Gets New Technology
KCTV Kansas City, (04/03/2008)
The Kansas City (Missouri) Crime Lab has received U.S. Department of Justice funding to help with investigating crimes in the city. One grant has helped the lab hire a full-time network caseworker to handle investigations that involve shell casing evidence. These casing can be checked against the National Ballistics Information Network. The second grant has helped the city purchase two new DNA robots that are capable of collecting and analyzing DNA evidence efficiently.
www.kctv5.com/news/15787833/detail.html
DNA Project Proves Effective in Case of Missing Stewartville Teenager
Post-Bulletin, (04/04/2008), Janice Gregorson
The year-old Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's Missing Persons DNA Project, designed to assist with identifying matches between missing people and unidentified remains, registered its first successful match between a missing teen and year old remains found in Florida. The process relies on DNA fingerprinting to make the matches. This project allows the family of a missing person to obtain closure, while assisting individual departments in solving cases and using resources effectively.
www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=335852
Old Room, New Purpose
MonroeNews.com, (04/04/2008)
Monroe County (Michigan) Sheriff Tilman Crutchfield is repurposing the vacant central dispatch room and creating a secure crime lab for his new crime unit. Since the department has investigators trained in the field of forensic computer examination, the department felt that the empty space would give investigators the space necessary to perform their tasks. Although the most prevalent computer crimes are those involving sexual predators, computer crime expands beyond that area. For example, one case being investigated by the unit began online with words and threats, but escalated to an actual physical assault. The creation of this unit signals a shift toward fighting crime of a specialized nature.
www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080404/NEWS01/506322489/-1/NEWS
The Value of Video System Allows Inmates to Appear in Court Without Ever Leaving Jail
The Eagle-Tribune, James A. Kimble
The installation and use of video conferencing in the Rockingham County (New Hampshire) Superior Court is the subject of debate. Prosecutors and jail officials believe it is needed from a cost savings and improved security standpoint. However, superior court officials see it as useless and costly. Rockingham County jail spends $275 a month on its system, which is wired with district courts in Salem and Portsmouth. Because of the belief in the effectiveness of the system, the Portsmouth District Court was brought onboard using $20,000 in funding from the jails budget. With the rise in the cost of gas and the amount of time needed to transport prisoners, jail officials and county attorneys feel the savings to the county would be significant, especially for those court appearances that are mandatory, but brief in nature. The superior court did have a system in place in 2001; however, the system was only in one court room, and setting up the system and shuttling judges from o! ne court to another was not timely or efficient. For these reasons the system was not used effectively, and was eventually dropped. However, because of changes in costs to support the system, rising gas costs, and the added security the system would provide, prosecutors and jail officials feel it is time to reevaluate the technology's use in the superior court.
www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_096213634.html?keyword=secondarystory
Firearms Training Simulator Gives Police Recruits Experience With Guns in Tough Situations
Daily Freeman, (04/14/2008), Kyle Wind
Using a simulator purchased by Ulster County Community College, the Ulster County (New York) police academy trains officers and recruits on how to handle tough situations. The scenarios on the system are taken from 500 to 600 real-life situations from throughout the country. System equipment includes a retrofitted 9mm Glock pistol that is connected to the computer, and the computer projects the scenario to a wall or screen. Because the system is connected to the weapon, it can track the officer's shots, as well as muzzle location. This is useful when demonstrating to recruits exact muzzle location during a situation and the concept of muzzle drift. The scenarios also help to improve the trainees' powers of observation, but most importantly they learn in the controlled chaos of the simulation, when it is okay to make mistakes in order to learn. Future features of the system will allow officers the chance to train using less-than-lethal alternatives.
www.dailyfreeman.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19481099&BRD=1769&PAG=461&dept_id=74969&rfi=6
Lynchburg Police Disappointed Over Silent Partner Alert System Response
The News & Advance, (04/01/2008), Carrie Sidener
Five hundred citizens have signed up to participate in the Silent Partner Alert system implemented by the Lynchburg Police Department 2 years ago, as opposed to the thousands that the department believed would sign up. The system provides the department with the ability to send mass e-mail messages to subscribers with information about anything from robberies and car crashes on major roads to missing person alerts. The messages can be sent to PDAs, computers, Blackberries, cell phones, or other devices capable of receiving e-mail. Because of the speed with which these alerts can be sent, they can help police solve a crime. Lynchburg was the second department to sign up for the service; currently seven departments in Virginia participate.
www.newsadvance.com/lna/news/local/article/lynchburg_police_disappointed_over_silent_partner_alert_system_response/3831/
Threats Go High-Tech
The Herald, (04/13/2008), Julia Reynolds
The new canvas for threatening gang graffiti is proving to be hard for police to patrol. Gangs are using the Internet, and specifically sites like YouTube. Police can pull a video from the site quickly if it is identified as a violation of policy. However, for police to act on these threats, the act must "cause victims to fear for their safety," according to Monterey County Deputy Assistant District Attorney Terry Spitz. Another issue is lack of enough resources for police to patrol not only sites like YouTube, but the Web as a whole. Salinas (California) police have a unit of computer forensic investigators that can work on such threats, but unit staff must also handle homicides or other major crime. If during the course of an investigation the threats seem credible, staff notify the victim, but this action is not required by law. These postings can, however, be used by detectives to gather information about local gangs, or as evidence should a crime occur.
origin1.montereyherald.com/news/ci_8909961?nclick_check=1
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Hi-Tech Solutions and Dalosy Industrial Systems Announce Establishment of HTS Europe
New operation will provide European customers with innovative solutions for port security, container handling, and automatic license plate reading
March 25, 2008. Hi-Tech Solutions Ltd. (HTS), a developer and provider of optical character recognition (OCR) computer vision systems, and Dalosy Industrial Systems b.v. (DIS), a provider of port automation and traffic control solutions, today announced the establishment of HTS Europe – a joint operation that will provide European customers with innovative solutions for port security, container handling, and automatic license plate reading.
Located near Rotterdam, the Netherlands, HTS Europe will offer comprehensive solutions based on HTS’s vision-based license plate recognition (LPR) and container code recognition (CCR) products, integrated with DIS’s gate gantries and portals, laser truck profiling systems, gate control system, pedestal control system, and damage inspection systems, among others. All of HTS Europe’s products will be specially tailored to meet customers’ exact requirements. HTS Europe will offer turnkey OCR solutions to end-users over a variety of security, automation and transportation applications, and local support for HTS distributors and resellers in Europe.
HTS Europe will provide LPR-based solutions to law enforcement and homeland security agencies, security companies, gated communities, parking facilities, airports, and facility management companies. The CCR-based products will be provided to port authorities and operators, cargo railway stations and various container terminals.
“The critical need for maximum security and efficiency has become an ever-growing concern of major corporations and organizations throughout Europe,” said Meta Rotenberg, VP Business Development, HTS. “HTS’s and DIS’s solutions, customized to each client’s needs, are cost effective and embody the capabilities required to provide the level of confidence, security and efficiency clients seek.”
“At the heart of the establishment of HTS Europe is a strong partnership drawing on the success of our previous relationships with HTS,” said Leander de Nooijer, General Manager, Dalosy Industrial Systems. “HTS Europe combines the advanced and innovative solutions of DIS and HTS to establish a leading position in the European maritime, transportation and security markets.”
HTS Europe will be showcasing its offerings at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2008, April 1st -4th .
About Dalosy Industrial Systems b.v. (DIS)
DIS is a member of the Dalosy Group of companies, which has been a leader in mobile and wireless automation and logistic systems for more than 30 years. DIS specializes in port automation and security, as well as in video-based systems for traffic control, toll roads, average speed and roadside monitoring. For more information about Dalosy Industrial Systems, visit www.dis-bv.com.
About Hi-Tech Solutions Ltd. (HTS)
HTS is a leading developer and supplier of optical character recognition (OCR) computer vision systems for a wide range of applications in the security, automation and management fields for the ports and traffic markets. HTS has successfully implemented commercial Container Code Recognition (CCR) and License Plate Recognition (LPR) systems in ports, traffic and security sectors in 30 countries worldwide, and has established partnerships with top-tier global companies in over 10 countries. For more information, visit www.htsol.com.
March 25, 2008. Hi-Tech Solutions Ltd. (HTS), a developer and provider of optical character recognition (OCR) computer vision systems, and Dalosy Industrial Systems b.v. (DIS), a provider of port automation and traffic control solutions, today announced the establishment of HTS Europe – a joint operation that will provide European customers with innovative solutions for port security, container handling, and automatic license plate reading.
Located near Rotterdam, the Netherlands, HTS Europe will offer comprehensive solutions based on HTS’s vision-based license plate recognition (LPR) and container code recognition (CCR) products, integrated with DIS’s gate gantries and portals, laser truck profiling systems, gate control system, pedestal control system, and damage inspection systems, among others. All of HTS Europe’s products will be specially tailored to meet customers’ exact requirements. HTS Europe will offer turnkey OCR solutions to end-users over a variety of security, automation and transportation applications, and local support for HTS distributors and resellers in Europe.
HTS Europe will provide LPR-based solutions to law enforcement and homeland security agencies, security companies, gated communities, parking facilities, airports, and facility management companies. The CCR-based products will be provided to port authorities and operators, cargo railway stations and various container terminals.
“The critical need for maximum security and efficiency has become an ever-growing concern of major corporations and organizations throughout Europe,” said Meta Rotenberg, VP Business Development, HTS. “HTS’s and DIS’s solutions, customized to each client’s needs, are cost effective and embody the capabilities required to provide the level of confidence, security and efficiency clients seek.”
“At the heart of the establishment of HTS Europe is a strong partnership drawing on the success of our previous relationships with HTS,” said Leander de Nooijer, General Manager, Dalosy Industrial Systems. “HTS Europe combines the advanced and innovative solutions of DIS and HTS to establish a leading position in the European maritime, transportation and security markets.”
HTS Europe will be showcasing its offerings at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2008, April 1st -4th .
About Dalosy Industrial Systems b.v. (DIS)
DIS is a member of the Dalosy Group of companies, which has been a leader in mobile and wireless automation and logistic systems for more than 30 years. DIS specializes in port automation and security, as well as in video-based systems for traffic control, toll roads, average speed and roadside monitoring. For more information about Dalosy Industrial Systems, visit www.dis-bv.com.
About Hi-Tech Solutions Ltd. (HTS)
HTS is a leading developer and supplier of optical character recognition (OCR) computer vision systems for a wide range of applications in the security, automation and management fields for the ports and traffic markets. HTS has successfully implemented commercial Container Code Recognition (CCR) and License Plate Recognition (LPR) systems in ports, traffic and security sectors in 30 countries worldwide, and has established partnerships with top-tier global companies in over 10 countries. For more information, visit www.htsol.com.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Public Safety Technology in the News
Fusion Centers: New York State Intelligence Strategy Unifies Law Enforcement
The Police Chief, (02/2008), Colonel Bart R. Johnson (retired) and Shelagh Dorn
Law enforcement investigations have in the past have been affected by political and jurisdictional issues among all levels of agencies. Multiple agencies could be conducting an investigation on the same crime, but no tools were in place to promote information sharing. The end result could be important information or evidence being found by one agency and not being shared with other agencies on the case. Intelligence is the key to impeding organized crime, as well as terrorism. That is why information sharing between agencies across levels should not be pigeon holed to just terrorism, but must be viewed across the entire spectrum of criminal activity. With those challenges in mind, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) worked to develop solutions to govern information sharing. The exchange of this information relies on "fusion centers," which pool together agencies and resources in one location to develop comprehensive information regarding crime. To fur! ther support the establishment of information sharing and fusion centers, IACP developed three publications: The National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan (NCISP), The National Strategy for Information Sharing, and Fusion Center Guidelines: Developing and Sharing Information and Intelligence in a New Era. The New York Intelligence Fusion Center is New York State's solution. The center incorporates Federal, State, and local law enforcement to help with the accurate exchange of information at all levels.
www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=1419&issue_id=22008
Tracking Sex Offenders Made Easy With New State Computer Program
Enterprise News, (03/01/2008), Maureen Boyle
The ability of Massachusetts police officer to investigate a possible child abduction or sex crime has been enhanced by new software known as Sex Offender Registry Information System (SORIS) created by xFact. Using specific search fields such as vehicle color, location of incident, and approximate height and weight of the suspect, within minutes an officer can have access to records for registered offenders matching any of the searched fields. Instead of processing 350 names a day, like the previous system did, the xFact system can cruise through 10,000 names in 30 minutes. Plus, it has the additional fields capable of helping narrow the field of possible suspects and assisting law enforcement develop quick leads. Eighty departments throughout Massachusetts have been trained on the system, and new departments are being trained weekly.
www.enterprisenews.com/news/x2052203702
Zemerick Software Provides Free Software to Law Enforcement
PR.com, (03/02/2008)
SPEAR Forensic, a suite of investigative software from Zemerick Software, Inc., is now available to members of the law enforcement community free of charge. Law enforcement agency staff simply register online at http://www.spearforensics.com to receive the software. Products available include Chat Watch SPEAR Edition for investigations involving instant messaging. Another product is Forensic P2P for peer-to-peer file sharing investigations. A third product is Forensic Web Screenshot, which is a utility that captures a snapshot of the entire length of a webpage. The SPEAR Forensics suite also offers resources to departments that conduct Internet safety seminars where parents can obtain Chat Watch software to monitor their children's instant messaging, and SaferSpace software to block social-networking sites on the family computer.
www.pr.com/press-release/72572
San Jacinto Police Use Electronic Tickets To Track and Save Time
The Press Enterprise, (03/02/2008), Steve Fetbrandt
Using many pieces of technology, including electronic citations pads, laptops with specialized software, wireless aircards, and the Internet, the San Jacinto Police Department has created a unique public-safety system capable of almost real-time reporting. The public benefit of this system is the ability to receive accident reports via e-mail at a small fee, rather than having to go to the police station to pick up the report. The citation pads have small keyboards, but are capable of swiping driver's licenses to capture data, then wirelessly generating a citation on a remote printer located in the officer's cruiser or motorcycle. The system reduces time spent on the street for officers, which allows them to be more active with enforcement, and the reduced time helps with officer safety. From a management standpoint, the system is a useful tool for analyzing data to identify emerging trends in accident locations, or areas indicating speed enforcement issues that need to b! e addressed.
www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_H_htickets02.42623e3.html
Regional Crime Lab in Works
Longmont Times-Call, (03/03/2008), Pierrette J. Shields
To assist the backlogged Colorado Bureau of Investigations with the processing of DNA evidence, Weld County Sheriff John Cooke and other regional law enforcement managers want to combine resources to create the Northern Colorado Crime Lab. The lab's purpose would be to process DNA evidence from various types of crime quickly. Because the present turnaround time for DNA evidence is lengthy, even for a homicide, the use of DNA as evidence is time prohibitive. With implementation of the new lab, managers hope that law enforcement will be able to make more arrests for property crime and prevent more serious crimes. Staff for the lab would come from the various cooperating agencies. Sheriff Cooke is working to secure funding for a facility to house the lab.
www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=6948
City Police Receive Grant To Purchase Cameras for Vehicles
El Defensor (03/05/08), Audry Olmsted
The Socorro Police Department has received a $7,475 grant from the New Mexico Department of Transportation to purchase removable in-car video cameras, which will allow officers to videotape all traffic stops. Video documentation of a traffic stop can then be used as evidence in a courtroom, providing additional weight to officer testimony. The department anticipates video evidence will be particularly useful in documenting field sobriety tests.
www.dchieftain.com/news/78297-03-05-08.html
National Dragnet Is a Click Away
Washington Post, (03/06/2008), Robert O'Harrow and Ellen Nakashima
Regional networks created by State and local law enforcement are the groundwork for a domestic intelligence system that would help law enforcement share and analyze information to combat crime and terrorism. While localities and regions wait for an information-sharing solution from Federal agencies, they have proceeded with uploading case and criminal records to storage areas, or "data warehouses," giving investigators and analysts a tool for finding nuances that may otherwise go unnoticed. Some of the several thousand local and regional networks already established will be incorporated later this month into the National Data Exchange (N-Dex), a U.S. Department of Justice system. This system will provide Federal authorities with access to vast amounts of information from local and State records housed in the smaller networks.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030503656.html?hpid=topnews
Liberty Hill Fire First Big Test of Digital Emergency Radios
Austin American-Statesman, (03/07/2008), Michael R. Jeffers
In January, the first big test for a new digital radio system for Williamson County came as a result of a 1,500-acre wildfire that threatened 100 Liberty Hill homes. Since implementation in November, the system has had some glitches in the software and poor reception in some areas of the county. However, the fire was the real test and the departments involved were able to communicate without any problem. Digital radio communications allows various departments from different jurisdictions to communicate without the use of a central dispatch, making operations quicker and more responsive. For the areas that are experiencing poor reception, research will be conducted to determine if the purchase of an additional tower will help. Until then, police and fire departments are capable of communicating via other devices.
www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/07/0307scanners.html
Police Test Out Cameras Mounted on Handguns
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, (03/07/2008), Domingo Ramirez, Jr.
In an effort to better understand and see the circumstances faced by law enforcement officers when they have to draw their weapons, three New York police department will be using PistolCam. A miniature camera, about the size of a pager, will be mounted on officers' service pistols. The units are sold with a specially designed holster that use magnetic strip technology to activate the camera as the officer pulls the weapon. The unit will then begin taping, and as it nears memory capacity, it will switch and take still photos until full. Police hope that the video captured by PistolCam units can be a useful tool and provide evidence when an officer-involved shooting occurs. Video and images captured by the cameras are encrypted to prevent alteration or erasing of footage.
www.officer.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=40520
The Camera Doesn't Lie, But It Can Get Confused
The New York Times, (03/08/2008), Jim Dwyer
In a controlled experiment at a Manhattan laboratory, an initial camera captures a face, then after preliminary analysis identifies the face as male. Below the image on the screen appears a meter displaying various human emotions that the system can recognize. Final analysis is done by a second camera that conducts a spatial analysis of the face by measuring distance between features, such as eyes, ears, cheekbones, and mouth. From the information captured by both cameras, the system builds a composite and runs it against other facial images in the database. The analysis shows the subject has a 51 percent probability of matching another person in the database, but a positive match cannot be made. This exercise was conducted in the controlled environment of a lab operated by International Biometrics Group, which tests biometric technologies and manages the National Sensors, Surveillance, and Biometric Technologies Center of! Excellence on behalf of the National Institute of Justice. Facial recognition that is capable of long-distance image capture and analysis is an elusive and highly sought after technology. This type of recognition, if functional, could scan large crowds or individual faces one at a time in a technique known as "mass covert data capture." Casinos can use this technology thanks to clear facial captures of guests as they check in, but outside controlled environments, everyday life does not present an opportunity for good facial capturing. Other types of technology that can be used to provide identification are iris scans or vein recognition of a subject's hand.
www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/nyregion/08about.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
The Police Chief, (02/2008), Colonel Bart R. Johnson (retired) and Shelagh Dorn
Law enforcement investigations have in the past have been affected by political and jurisdictional issues among all levels of agencies. Multiple agencies could be conducting an investigation on the same crime, but no tools were in place to promote information sharing. The end result could be important information or evidence being found by one agency and not being shared with other agencies on the case. Intelligence is the key to impeding organized crime, as well as terrorism. That is why information sharing between agencies across levels should not be pigeon holed to just terrorism, but must be viewed across the entire spectrum of criminal activity. With those challenges in mind, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) worked to develop solutions to govern information sharing. The exchange of this information relies on "fusion centers," which pool together agencies and resources in one location to develop comprehensive information regarding crime. To fur! ther support the establishment of information sharing and fusion centers, IACP developed three publications: The National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan (NCISP), The National Strategy for Information Sharing, and Fusion Center Guidelines: Developing and Sharing Information and Intelligence in a New Era. The New York Intelligence Fusion Center is New York State's solution. The center incorporates Federal, State, and local law enforcement to help with the accurate exchange of information at all levels.
www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display&article_id=1419&issue_id=22008
Tracking Sex Offenders Made Easy With New State Computer Program
Enterprise News, (03/01/2008), Maureen Boyle
The ability of Massachusetts police officer to investigate a possible child abduction or sex crime has been enhanced by new software known as Sex Offender Registry Information System (SORIS) created by xFact. Using specific search fields such as vehicle color, location of incident, and approximate height and weight of the suspect, within minutes an officer can have access to records for registered offenders matching any of the searched fields. Instead of processing 350 names a day, like the previous system did, the xFact system can cruise through 10,000 names in 30 minutes. Plus, it has the additional fields capable of helping narrow the field of possible suspects and assisting law enforcement develop quick leads. Eighty departments throughout Massachusetts have been trained on the system, and new departments are being trained weekly.
www.enterprisenews.com/news/x2052203702
Zemerick Software Provides Free Software to Law Enforcement
PR.com, (03/02/2008)
SPEAR Forensic, a suite of investigative software from Zemerick Software, Inc., is now available to members of the law enforcement community free of charge. Law enforcement agency staff simply register online at http://www.spearforensics.com to receive the software. Products available include Chat Watch SPEAR Edition for investigations involving instant messaging. Another product is Forensic P2P for peer-to-peer file sharing investigations. A third product is Forensic Web Screenshot, which is a utility that captures a snapshot of the entire length of a webpage. The SPEAR Forensics suite also offers resources to departments that conduct Internet safety seminars where parents can obtain Chat Watch software to monitor their children's instant messaging, and SaferSpace software to block social-networking sites on the family computer.
www.pr.com/press-release/72572
San Jacinto Police Use Electronic Tickets To Track and Save Time
The Press Enterprise, (03/02/2008), Steve Fetbrandt
Using many pieces of technology, including electronic citations pads, laptops with specialized software, wireless aircards, and the Internet, the San Jacinto Police Department has created a unique public-safety system capable of almost real-time reporting. The public benefit of this system is the ability to receive accident reports via e-mail at a small fee, rather than having to go to the police station to pick up the report. The citation pads have small keyboards, but are capable of swiping driver's licenses to capture data, then wirelessly generating a citation on a remote printer located in the officer's cruiser or motorcycle. The system reduces time spent on the street for officers, which allows them to be more active with enforcement, and the reduced time helps with officer safety. From a management standpoint, the system is a useful tool for analyzing data to identify emerging trends in accident locations, or areas indicating speed enforcement issues that need to b! e addressed.
www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_H_htickets02.42623e3.html
Regional Crime Lab in Works
Longmont Times-Call, (03/03/2008), Pierrette J. Shields
To assist the backlogged Colorado Bureau of Investigations with the processing of DNA evidence, Weld County Sheriff John Cooke and other regional law enforcement managers want to combine resources to create the Northern Colorado Crime Lab. The lab's purpose would be to process DNA evidence from various types of crime quickly. Because the present turnaround time for DNA evidence is lengthy, even for a homicide, the use of DNA as evidence is time prohibitive. With implementation of the new lab, managers hope that law enforcement will be able to make more arrests for property crime and prevent more serious crimes. Staff for the lab would come from the various cooperating agencies. Sheriff Cooke is working to secure funding for a facility to house the lab.
www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=6948
City Police Receive Grant To Purchase Cameras for Vehicles
El Defensor (03/05/08), Audry Olmsted
The Socorro Police Department has received a $7,475 grant from the New Mexico Department of Transportation to purchase removable in-car video cameras, which will allow officers to videotape all traffic stops. Video documentation of a traffic stop can then be used as evidence in a courtroom, providing additional weight to officer testimony. The department anticipates video evidence will be particularly useful in documenting field sobriety tests.
www.dchieftain.com/news/78297-03-05-08.html
National Dragnet Is a Click Away
Washington Post, (03/06/2008), Robert O'Harrow and Ellen Nakashima
Regional networks created by State and local law enforcement are the groundwork for a domestic intelligence system that would help law enforcement share and analyze information to combat crime and terrorism. While localities and regions wait for an information-sharing solution from Federal agencies, they have proceeded with uploading case and criminal records to storage areas, or "data warehouses," giving investigators and analysts a tool for finding nuances that may otherwise go unnoticed. Some of the several thousand local and regional networks already established will be incorporated later this month into the National Data Exchange (N-Dex), a U.S. Department of Justice system. This system will provide Federal authorities with access to vast amounts of information from local and State records housed in the smaller networks.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030503656.html?hpid=topnews
Liberty Hill Fire First Big Test of Digital Emergency Radios
Austin American-Statesman, (03/07/2008), Michael R. Jeffers
In January, the first big test for a new digital radio system for Williamson County came as a result of a 1,500-acre wildfire that threatened 100 Liberty Hill homes. Since implementation in November, the system has had some glitches in the software and poor reception in some areas of the county. However, the fire was the real test and the departments involved were able to communicate without any problem. Digital radio communications allows various departments from different jurisdictions to communicate without the use of a central dispatch, making operations quicker and more responsive. For the areas that are experiencing poor reception, research will be conducted to determine if the purchase of an additional tower will help. Until then, police and fire departments are capable of communicating via other devices.
www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/07/0307scanners.html
Police Test Out Cameras Mounted on Handguns
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, (03/07/2008), Domingo Ramirez, Jr.
In an effort to better understand and see the circumstances faced by law enforcement officers when they have to draw their weapons, three New York police department will be using PistolCam. A miniature camera, about the size of a pager, will be mounted on officers' service pistols. The units are sold with a specially designed holster that use magnetic strip technology to activate the camera as the officer pulls the weapon. The unit will then begin taping, and as it nears memory capacity, it will switch and take still photos until full. Police hope that the video captured by PistolCam units can be a useful tool and provide evidence when an officer-involved shooting occurs. Video and images captured by the cameras are encrypted to prevent alteration or erasing of footage.
www.officer.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=40520
The Camera Doesn't Lie, But It Can Get Confused
The New York Times, (03/08/2008), Jim Dwyer
In a controlled experiment at a Manhattan laboratory, an initial camera captures a face, then after preliminary analysis identifies the face as male. Below the image on the screen appears a meter displaying various human emotions that the system can recognize. Final analysis is done by a second camera that conducts a spatial analysis of the face by measuring distance between features, such as eyes, ears, cheekbones, and mouth. From the information captured by both cameras, the system builds a composite and runs it against other facial images in the database. The analysis shows the subject has a 51 percent probability of matching another person in the database, but a positive match cannot be made. This exercise was conducted in the controlled environment of a lab operated by International Biometrics Group, which tests biometric technologies and manages the National Sensors, Surveillance, and Biometric Technologies Center of! Excellence on behalf of the National Institute of Justice. Facial recognition that is capable of long-distance image capture and analysis is an elusive and highly sought after technology. This type of recognition, if functional, could scan large crowds or individual faces one at a time in a technique known as "mass covert data capture." Casinos can use this technology thanks to clear facial captures of guests as they check in, but outside controlled environments, everyday life does not present an opportunity for good facial capturing. Other types of technology that can be used to provide identification are iris scans or vein recognition of a subject's hand.
www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/nyregion/08about.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Friday, March 14, 2008
Emergency Management Planning as Collaborative Community Work
Emergencies often have causes and effects that are global. However, emergencies are also inherently local: They occur in a particular place and point in time. While it is critical for governments and society to better organize emergency management top-down, it is also important to become more aware of local community-level values, planning, involvement, knowledge, and skill. Local communities plan collaboratively for potential emergencies of varying scales.
Our discipline of Human-Computer Interaction studies the interaction between people and computers. Researchers in this field consider how information technology affects emergency management. They aim to improve emergency management through the design of useful and novel interfaces to technology. The purpose of our work was to take a broader perspective on emergency management and investigate the models and patterns of emergency-related work practices. In particular, we examined emergency management from a local community perspective. This focus on local communities partly stems from our prior research on community groups and their use of information technology. It is also motivated by the realization that emergencies are local events, which happen in communities.
This paper reports on a study of one community's emergency planning activities. Five aspects of community preparedness are discussed: collaborative efforts, local area details, local culture, geographic information, and emergency plans, and a case study provides concrete examples of each. Local community preparedness is complex and gives rise to many collaboration issues. Revealing this complexity, the paper offers some implications for community emergency management technology.
READ ON
http://www.bepress.com/jhsem/vol5/iss1/10/?sending=10054
Our discipline of Human-Computer Interaction studies the interaction between people and computers. Researchers in this field consider how information technology affects emergency management. They aim to improve emergency management through the design of useful and novel interfaces to technology. The purpose of our work was to take a broader perspective on emergency management and investigate the models and patterns of emergency-related work practices. In particular, we examined emergency management from a local community perspective. This focus on local communities partly stems from our prior research on community groups and their use of information technology. It is also motivated by the realization that emergencies are local events, which happen in communities.
This paper reports on a study of one community's emergency planning activities. Five aspects of community preparedness are discussed: collaborative efforts, local area details, local culture, geographic information, and emergency plans, and a case study provides concrete examples of each. Local community preparedness is complex and gives rise to many collaboration issues. Revealing this complexity, the paper offers some implications for community emergency management technology.
READ ON
http://www.bepress.com/jhsem/vol5/iss1/10/?sending=10054
Thursday, January 17, 2008
2008 NIJ Law Enforcement and Forensics Applied Technologies Conference
March 17 - 21, 2008 — Point Clear, Alabama
The 5th NIJ Applied Technologies Conference, to be held at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort in Point Clear, Alabama, showcases novel tools and technologies with current or future law enforcement and crime laboratory applications that improve how we keep our communities safe. In addition, it features forums for discussing the procedures, policies, and issues that arise when new technology is introduced in a community. Through panel discussions and exhibits, executives will have a chance to sample a wide variety of technologies and their associated issues, like community acceptance, return on investment, planning for deployment, and privacy. NIJ sponsors the Applied Technologies Conference in partnership with the Sheriff's Association of Texas and the National Forensic Science Technology Center.
Registration is FREE but space is limited.
Sample Panels
Simulating Life: Computer-Aided Trainings
Law Enforcement and Forensics: An International Perspective
How to Obtain Free Equipment from the Federal Government
Lower Cost Aviation Solutions for Public Safety
New Technology in Personal Protective Equipment
Communications Interoperability: Small Pilots and Large Projects
It's 2008, What can the Crime Laboratory do for You Now
Advancements in Investigation of Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains
Cell Phone Forensics: A 101 Primer for Law Enforcement
Information Management in Corrections: Criminal Activity Detection
Information Sharing
Canine Enforcement: A Warm-Blooded Technology
Unique Forensic Technologies and Techniques
DNA Technologies and Techniques
Forensic Resources to Support Your Efforts
Research and Evaluation in Forensic Science
Try Selected Technologies on the Exhibit Floor!
Who should attend
Managers and supervisors in law enforcement, forensics, and corrections. This conference is only open to Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement and Public Safety Officials (Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Crime Laboratories). Registration is also open to NIJ Grantees with approval from their NIJ Program Manager. The exhibit floor is reserved for government and government related displays.
Conference Contact
Register at www.training.txsheriffs.org For more information or to register, contact Joel Blainey by phone: (212) 748-9486 or email: jblainey@txsheriffs.org
The 5th NIJ Applied Technologies Conference, to be held at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort in Point Clear, Alabama, showcases novel tools and technologies with current or future law enforcement and crime laboratory applications that improve how we keep our communities safe. In addition, it features forums for discussing the procedures, policies, and issues that arise when new technology is introduced in a community. Through panel discussions and exhibits, executives will have a chance to sample a wide variety of technologies and their associated issues, like community acceptance, return on investment, planning for deployment, and privacy. NIJ sponsors the Applied Technologies Conference in partnership with the Sheriff's Association of Texas and the National Forensic Science Technology Center.
Registration is FREE but space is limited.
Sample Panels
Simulating Life: Computer-Aided Trainings
Law Enforcement and Forensics: An International Perspective
How to Obtain Free Equipment from the Federal Government
Lower Cost Aviation Solutions for Public Safety
New Technology in Personal Protective Equipment
Communications Interoperability: Small Pilots and Large Projects
It's 2008, What can the Crime Laboratory do for You Now
Advancements in Investigation of Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains
Cell Phone Forensics: A 101 Primer for Law Enforcement
Information Management in Corrections: Criminal Activity Detection
Information Sharing
Canine Enforcement: A Warm-Blooded Technology
Unique Forensic Technologies and Techniques
DNA Technologies and Techniques
Forensic Resources to Support Your Efforts
Research and Evaluation in Forensic Science
Try Selected Technologies on the Exhibit Floor!
Who should attend
Managers and supervisors in law enforcement, forensics, and corrections. This conference is only open to Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement and Public Safety Officials (Law Enforcement, Corrections, and Crime Laboratories). Registration is also open to NIJ Grantees with approval from their NIJ Program Manager. The exhibit floor is reserved for government and government related displays.
Conference Contact
Register at www.training.txsheriffs.org For more information or to register, contact Joel Blainey by phone: (212) 748-9486 or email: jblainey@txsheriffs.org
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Law Enforcement Technology
NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, August 23, 2007
"Police Ask That Cameras for Traffic Be Set to Record"
Contra Costa Times (CA) (08/18/07); Fischer, Karl
El Cerrito, Calif., Police Chief Scott Kirkland has requested that the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency record the footage generated by around 24 traffic cameras along San Pablo Avenue to help in police investigations. The idea, however, is not attractive to privacy activists, who claim the cameras are not efficient crime deterrents and could be used improperly. The agency will query its 29 partner cities, counties, and transit groups over the coming two months before making a decision. Alameda's congestion council implemented the cameras three years ago to enable traffic planners and the public to determine congestion and additional driving conditions along East Bay roads, including San Pablo Avenue. While the camera images are usually clear enough to make out the color, make, and model of a vehicle, they cannot read license-plate numbers or characteristics of drivers. Law enforcement started requesting recorded footage a short while after the cameras were erected. Kirkland claims his proposal would cost around $50,000, which he says other police agencies in the area could help pay for. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_6657592
"County Focuses on Disaster Prep"
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/19/07); Cook, Bonnie L.
To prepare for a terrorist attack, officials in Upper Merion Township, Pa., have voted to outfit their caucus room with new antiterror gear. The township is one of 61 in Montgomery County that are taking steps to improve their emergency preparedness. The county has already allocated $18.1 million to disaster readiness and is preparing to open a new antiterrorist and weapons-training facility in mid-September that will serve at the site of the county's first public-safety campus. County officials say the building will allow first-responders to train at the same site, using the same set of rules. "The coordination and training has to be led by the county," says Montgomery County Commissioner Tom Ellis. "So when there is an emergency, people aren't falling all over themselves. You can have all the equipment you want, but if you don't know what to do when you get to the scene, it doesn't work."
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/montgomery/
nabes/20070819_County_focuses_on_disaster_prep_2.html
"Policing Helped by Sketches"
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) (08/19/07) P. B1; Williamson, Danielle M.
Law enforcement officials in the Worcester, Mass., region recently met and talked about their employment of artists and computer programs that manufacture images of suspects. The most discussed case was that of a 16-year-old girl who was abducted in June 2000 from a pond in Warren. The girl's mother gave a leading sketch artist a description of the suspect, who was arrested earlier in August 2007 on a separate abduction charge. Police still do not frequently retain nationally known sketch arts to assist with an investigation. What is more typical is the employment of computer programs such as Identi-Kit, which provides numerous choices for facial characteristics that can be brought together to make a composite. While the majority of sketches have some similarities to their subject of focus, they are not often "a dead ringer," notes Northboro Police Chief Mark K. Leahy. Gardner Det. William Crockett points out that the more people who see a crime, the better the possibility that a realistic drawing will be made, as police can compare similar aspects of each description. http://www.telegram.com/article/20070819/NEWS/708190454/1008/NEWS02
"N.J. Gives Big Boost to Gun Tracking"
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/16/07) P. B1; Ung, Elisa
New Jersey will become the first state in the nation to share a federal gun database. It will have real-time electronic access to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives database, which lists a gun's initial buyer, sale date, and the store from where it was bought. This would provide the state with a formidable way to study illegitimate gun violence and trafficking trends, authorities said, and possibly enable law enforcement to rapidly connect crimes in multiple towns. The tracing data is gathered from area police records of firearm purchases. Last year, 4,743 individuals were arrested in New Jersey for having illegal guns. Of the 3,100 guns presented for tracing in 2006, just 26 percent were bought in the state. New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram stated on Aug. 15 that she was ordering all area law-enforcement groups in the state to submit their tracing data, which will be placed in a database shared by all law enforcement in New Jersey.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/9191527.html
"New E.V. Central Crime Database Aims for Quicker ID, Arrests"
East Valley Tribune (AZ) (08/16/07); McDevitt, Katie
The new East Valley Gang and Criminal Information Fusion Center in Mesa, Ariz., is set to open this autumn at the Mesa Police Department. The center's staff will collect and study crime-related data so it can be shared among law enforcement agencies in the East Valley. Authorities note that sharing information will make it easier and faster to catch criminals, who frequently cross city borders. Right now, when a crime is investigated in several jurisdictions, police have to contact another official and determine who is handling the case. In the fall, however, when an agency finds out about a crime, it will send the data electronically to the fusion center, where the data will be studied to determine if the crime is occurring in other cities. All of the information is merged and transmitted to participating entities so police can study the material prior to going out on the streets. In addition, the center can monitor gang members and other individuals police need to know about. An important tool that will assist in the procedure is COPLINK, a new technology that will provide police with the capability to look through thousands of internal records in seconds. http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/95217
"Sheriff Mike Blakely Requests More Than $7 Million"
Decatur Daily News (Ala.) (08/16/07); Hollman, Holly
The Decatur Sheriff's Department has asked the county for an extra $1.6 million in funding. The department received $5.8 million for fiscal 2007, but Sheriff Mike Blakely has petitioned the Limestone County Commission for another $1.6 million, pushing the total request for fiscal 2008 to almost $7.5 million. Blakely said the additional money, which be used for the Sheriff's department, work release, school resource officers, and courthouse security, is necessary to keep the department and auxiliary services up and running. "We're the largest agency you have, with 40 to 50 percent of the county's employees," Blakely said. "And we operate 24 hours and seven days a week." The money would also help finance major equipment purchases, including a computer-aided dispatch system and a digital recorder upgrade that cost $235,210 and $20,000, respectively. The dispatch system would let the department enter information--caller complaints, for instance--into the computer system, which would then retrieve information from all departments on the caller, a suspect, or an address. Phone call recordings would be facilitated by the recorder system.
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/070816/budget.shtml
"ShotSpotter System to Be Deployed in Illinois Municipality"
Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal (08/16/07)
Bellwood, Ill., is implementing ShotSpotter's gunshot location system with a wireless surveillance camera network. The village is employing the system to offer police real-time information regarding gunshot incidents, exact information about the events, in-depth intelligence and forensic analysis for arrest and prosecution, and data about a shooter's location, including drive-by shooters on the run. ShotSpotter states that its gunshot location system has easy-to-use sensors that can locate gunfire in big urban regions. The firm caters to law enforcement, homeland security, and military groups.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/
2007/08/13/daily62.html?ana=from_rss
"New Crimefighters for Newark"
Star-Ledger (NJ) (08/15/07) P. 15; Parks, Brad; Mays, Jeffery C.; Marsico, Ron
A new program, called Community Eye, will be helping police in Newark, N.J., fight crime. The program is made up of a combination of video cameras and gunshot-sensors strategically placed in about a third of the city where 80 percent of recent shootings have occurred. The system is set to cost a total of $3.2 million. By the time it is finished, Community Eye will include 127 bullet-proof, tamper-proof cameras. It will also include a number of sensors designed to specifically detect the sound of a gunshot. When a gun is fired, the sensors allow police to use global-positioning technology to locate the source of the noise. They also direct any cameras in the area to point in the direction of the sound.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/
base/news-7/1187152081197510.xml&coll=1
"Sky Harbor Adds Black Lights, Magnifying Glasses to Security"
East Valley Tribune (AZ) (08/21/07); Hogan, Donna
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says that a pilot program at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) designed to boost security through the use of trained TSA inspectors at checkpoints rather than airline contract workers has been a success and will be replicated at airports nationwide. According to TSA spokesman Nico Melendez, the TSA inspectors are better at spotting fake identification documents and receive updated government watch lists before each shift. The inspectors are using magnifying glasses and black lights to find fake passports and driver's licenses. PHX has further enhanced security through the addition of backscatter scanning machines that serve as an alternative to pat-downs for travelers setting off alarms when walking through metal detectors. TSA says it will test more backscatters, as well as millimeter wave imaging technology, at PHX, Los Angeles International, and John F. Kennedy International.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/95565
"Belleville Police Will Soon be Able to Shoot ... Video"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (08/15/07) P. C1; Pistor, Nicholas J.C.
The Belleville, Ill., Police Department is outfitting 12 of its police cars with high-resolution digital video recorders that will allow officers to record everything that happens during incidents such as high-speed chases and routine traffic stops. The cameras, which will be paid for with a $47,000 grant from the Department of Justice, will begin recording as soon as officers turn their red and blue police lights on. The video could be used in court to allow judges and juries to see what happened during a particular incident. Don Sax, a captain with the Belleville Police Department, said the ability to present video evidence in court would be particularly helpful during high-profile cases. For example, video would have been helpful in a case last year involving a St. Clair County, Ill., judge who was spotted by a police officer at the scene of a traffic accident with a beer can--which later disappeared.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/
story/F30CB0EC9968BF398625733800101454?OpenDocument
"Gun ID Bill Takes a Shot at Illegal Weapons Market"
Los Angeles Times (08/15/07) P. B6; Hsu, Tiffany
The California state Senate is considering a bill that would require all new handguns to be stamped with microscopic identification tags. The bill, known as the Crime Gun Identification Act, would also require that handguns be equipped with lasers that imprint a "microstamp" of the gun's make, model, and serial number onto shell casings when the weapon is fired. The new requirements would take effect January 1, 2010, if the bill is passed. According to California Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D), who authored the bill, the legislation would help law enforcement officials trace shell casings back to a gun's registered owner. The legislation would also deter gun owners and retailers from selling to unlicensed purchasers, which would in turn reduce the number of armed criminals, Feuer said. However, opponents of the bill claimed the technology is prone to tampering and does not prevent unlicensed criminals from using the stamped guns. In addition, the microstamping technology could cause crime scenes to "easily be contaminated by a criminal throwing down a handful of shell casings he picked up from the local gun range," the Golden State 2nd Amendment Council wrote in letters to Assembly members.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/
la-me-guns15aug15,1,2366525.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california
"Clearing Emergency Radio Waves"
Wall Street Journal (08/07/07) P. A4; Boles, Corey
Sprint Nextel admits it has played hard ball in negotiations with local public-safety agencies regarding its pledge to pay at least $4.86 billion to separate the frequency channels used for its service from the airwaves used for emergency communications. The effort is an ambitious one, everyone agrees, requiring modifications to the wireless-network equipment of public-service agencies across the nation, as well as the radio communications devices they employ. It all must be accomplished while maintaining online public-safety networks. "People's lives are hanging on this," says an official with the Utah Communications Agency Network, which is supervising the channel switch in Utah. "You're having to redesign and rebuild the airplane while it's still flying." Sprint Nextel says by year's end it will have spent some $1.5 billion toward the effort and notes it has committed to spending at least $4.86 billion, meaning anything over that amount would be absorbed by the company. An official with Chester County, Pa., emergency services says he has been negotiating for three years with Sprint Nextel just to agree on funding for a preliminary study on how much it would cost to upgrade its emergency communications equipment. Presently, Sprint Nextel's offer of $400,000 is $250,000 shy of what the county requested. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118644768507989972.html
"Fit and Clean for Life"
Police (07/07) Vol. 31, No. 7, P. 40; Fahl, Keith
Body armor used by law enforcement needs to fit properly, in order to provide maximum comfort and protection, writes Armor Holdings Products Group armor technical specialist Keith Fahl. The front panel of the vest should rise above an officer's duty belt when sitting down so that it does not wrinkle or roll at the bottom of the vest, and the top neck edge needs to fit within an inch beneath the clavicle notch at the top of the sternum. The vest also needs to come slightly above the duty belt, but not touch any of the equipment connected to that belt. In addition, the vest needs to be in line with the points of the wearer's shoulders, and the vest's sides should come together or overlap to shield side areas. When cleaning the vest, the ballistic panels need to be taken off first, with both elements of the vest cleaned individually. The protective panels of the vest can be wiped down with a damp cloth or sponge, using cold water and a gentle soap. When cleaning the carrier, employ a soft bristle brush or cloth to get rid of loose dirt from the surface of the carrier and the hook-and-loop fasteners, Fahl recommends. The carrier should be washed by hand or in the machine in warm or cool water on the gentle cycle utilizing detergent or mild soap. http://www.policemag.com/Articles/2007/07/Fit-and-Clean-for-Life.aspx
"The Valley of Surveillance"
Governing (07/07) Vol. 20, No. 10, P. 38; Perlman, Ellen
Phoenix, Ariz., has acquired a surveillance camera system that allows police to keep an eye on the city's activities. The nearly $500,000 system allows Phoenix police to follow camera images from police headquarters, in patrol cars, or via handheld gadgets. The system allows police to rotate the cameras 360 degrees and have enough bandwidth to obtain almost real-time video. In addition, the cameras can perform "smart searching" of the video, without having to view the entire footage. While opponents contend that erecting cameras just moves violators to another location to avoid being caught on film, authorities note that it throws criminals off-balance, and that forcing them to uncharted areas places them at a disadvantage and enables police to possibly apprehend them as they are making errors. Phoenix's cameras are moved on a regular basis and are set up in regions where criminals are predicted to attack next. The cameras employ mesh technology, which transports images and information to the online nodes erected around a region. The mesh structure manufactures coverage "umbrellas" and information moves from one umbrella to another. http://www.governing.com/articles/7cameras.htm
Thursday, August 23, 2007
"Police Ask That Cameras for Traffic Be Set to Record"
Contra Costa Times (CA) (08/18/07); Fischer, Karl
El Cerrito, Calif., Police Chief Scott Kirkland has requested that the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency record the footage generated by around 24 traffic cameras along San Pablo Avenue to help in police investigations. The idea, however, is not attractive to privacy activists, who claim the cameras are not efficient crime deterrents and could be used improperly. The agency will query its 29 partner cities, counties, and transit groups over the coming two months before making a decision. Alameda's congestion council implemented the cameras three years ago to enable traffic planners and the public to determine congestion and additional driving conditions along East Bay roads, including San Pablo Avenue. While the camera images are usually clear enough to make out the color, make, and model of a vehicle, they cannot read license-plate numbers or characteristics of drivers. Law enforcement started requesting recorded footage a short while after the cameras were erected. Kirkland claims his proposal would cost around $50,000, which he says other police agencies in the area could help pay for. http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_6657592
"County Focuses on Disaster Prep"
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/19/07); Cook, Bonnie L.
To prepare for a terrorist attack, officials in Upper Merion Township, Pa., have voted to outfit their caucus room with new antiterror gear. The township is one of 61 in Montgomery County that are taking steps to improve their emergency preparedness. The county has already allocated $18.1 million to disaster readiness and is preparing to open a new antiterrorist and weapons-training facility in mid-September that will serve at the site of the county's first public-safety campus. County officials say the building will allow first-responders to train at the same site, using the same set of rules. "The coordination and training has to be led by the county," says Montgomery County Commissioner Tom Ellis. "So when there is an emergency, people aren't falling all over themselves. You can have all the equipment you want, but if you don't know what to do when you get to the scene, it doesn't work."
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/montgomery/
nabes/20070819_County_focuses_on_disaster_prep_2.html
"Policing Helped by Sketches"
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) (08/19/07) P. B1; Williamson, Danielle M.
Law enforcement officials in the Worcester, Mass., region recently met and talked about their employment of artists and computer programs that manufacture images of suspects. The most discussed case was that of a 16-year-old girl who was abducted in June 2000 from a pond in Warren. The girl's mother gave a leading sketch artist a description of the suspect, who was arrested earlier in August 2007 on a separate abduction charge. Police still do not frequently retain nationally known sketch arts to assist with an investigation. What is more typical is the employment of computer programs such as Identi-Kit, which provides numerous choices for facial characteristics that can be brought together to make a composite. While the majority of sketches have some similarities to their subject of focus, they are not often "a dead ringer," notes Northboro Police Chief Mark K. Leahy. Gardner Det. William Crockett points out that the more people who see a crime, the better the possibility that a realistic drawing will be made, as police can compare similar aspects of each description. http://www.telegram.com/article/20070819/NEWS/708190454/1008/NEWS02
"N.J. Gives Big Boost to Gun Tracking"
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/16/07) P. B1; Ung, Elisa
New Jersey will become the first state in the nation to share a federal gun database. It will have real-time electronic access to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives database, which lists a gun's initial buyer, sale date, and the store from where it was bought. This would provide the state with a formidable way to study illegitimate gun violence and trafficking trends, authorities said, and possibly enable law enforcement to rapidly connect crimes in multiple towns. The tracing data is gathered from area police records of firearm purchases. Last year, 4,743 individuals were arrested in New Jersey for having illegal guns. Of the 3,100 guns presented for tracing in 2006, just 26 percent were bought in the state. New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram stated on Aug. 15 that she was ordering all area law-enforcement groups in the state to submit their tracing data, which will be placed in a database shared by all law enforcement in New Jersey.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/9191527.html
"New E.V. Central Crime Database Aims for Quicker ID, Arrests"
East Valley Tribune (AZ) (08/16/07); McDevitt, Katie
The new East Valley Gang and Criminal Information Fusion Center in Mesa, Ariz., is set to open this autumn at the Mesa Police Department. The center's staff will collect and study crime-related data so it can be shared among law enforcement agencies in the East Valley. Authorities note that sharing information will make it easier and faster to catch criminals, who frequently cross city borders. Right now, when a crime is investigated in several jurisdictions, police have to contact another official and determine who is handling the case. In the fall, however, when an agency finds out about a crime, it will send the data electronically to the fusion center, where the data will be studied to determine if the crime is occurring in other cities. All of the information is merged and transmitted to participating entities so police can study the material prior to going out on the streets. In addition, the center can monitor gang members and other individuals police need to know about. An important tool that will assist in the procedure is COPLINK, a new technology that will provide police with the capability to look through thousands of internal records in seconds. http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/95217
"Sheriff Mike Blakely Requests More Than $7 Million"
Decatur Daily News (Ala.) (08/16/07); Hollman, Holly
The Decatur Sheriff's Department has asked the county for an extra $1.6 million in funding. The department received $5.8 million for fiscal 2007, but Sheriff Mike Blakely has petitioned the Limestone County Commission for another $1.6 million, pushing the total request for fiscal 2008 to almost $7.5 million. Blakely said the additional money, which be used for the Sheriff's department, work release, school resource officers, and courthouse security, is necessary to keep the department and auxiliary services up and running. "We're the largest agency you have, with 40 to 50 percent of the county's employees," Blakely said. "And we operate 24 hours and seven days a week." The money would also help finance major equipment purchases, including a computer-aided dispatch system and a digital recorder upgrade that cost $235,210 and $20,000, respectively. The dispatch system would let the department enter information--caller complaints, for instance--into the computer system, which would then retrieve information from all departments on the caller, a suspect, or an address. Phone call recordings would be facilitated by the recorder system.
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/070816/budget.shtml
"ShotSpotter System to Be Deployed in Illinois Municipality"
Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal (08/16/07)
Bellwood, Ill., is implementing ShotSpotter's gunshot location system with a wireless surveillance camera network. The village is employing the system to offer police real-time information regarding gunshot incidents, exact information about the events, in-depth intelligence and forensic analysis for arrest and prosecution, and data about a shooter's location, including drive-by shooters on the run. ShotSpotter states that its gunshot location system has easy-to-use sensors that can locate gunfire in big urban regions. The firm caters to law enforcement, homeland security, and military groups.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/
2007/08/13/daily62.html?ana=from_rss
"New Crimefighters for Newark"
Star-Ledger (NJ) (08/15/07) P. 15; Parks, Brad; Mays, Jeffery C.; Marsico, Ron
A new program, called Community Eye, will be helping police in Newark, N.J., fight crime. The program is made up of a combination of video cameras and gunshot-sensors strategically placed in about a third of the city where 80 percent of recent shootings have occurred. The system is set to cost a total of $3.2 million. By the time it is finished, Community Eye will include 127 bullet-proof, tamper-proof cameras. It will also include a number of sensors designed to specifically detect the sound of a gunshot. When a gun is fired, the sensors allow police to use global-positioning technology to locate the source of the noise. They also direct any cameras in the area to point in the direction of the sound.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/
base/news-7/1187152081197510.xml&coll=1
"Sky Harbor Adds Black Lights, Magnifying Glasses to Security"
East Valley Tribune (AZ) (08/21/07); Hogan, Donna
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says that a pilot program at Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) designed to boost security through the use of trained TSA inspectors at checkpoints rather than airline contract workers has been a success and will be replicated at airports nationwide. According to TSA spokesman Nico Melendez, the TSA inspectors are better at spotting fake identification documents and receive updated government watch lists before each shift. The inspectors are using magnifying glasses and black lights to find fake passports and driver's licenses. PHX has further enhanced security through the addition of backscatter scanning machines that serve as an alternative to pat-downs for travelers setting off alarms when walking through metal detectors. TSA says it will test more backscatters, as well as millimeter wave imaging technology, at PHX, Los Angeles International, and John F. Kennedy International.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/95565
"Belleville Police Will Soon be Able to Shoot ... Video"
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (08/15/07) P. C1; Pistor, Nicholas J.C.
The Belleville, Ill., Police Department is outfitting 12 of its police cars with high-resolution digital video recorders that will allow officers to record everything that happens during incidents such as high-speed chases and routine traffic stops. The cameras, which will be paid for with a $47,000 grant from the Department of Justice, will begin recording as soon as officers turn their red and blue police lights on. The video could be used in court to allow judges and juries to see what happened during a particular incident. Don Sax, a captain with the Belleville Police Department, said the ability to present video evidence in court would be particularly helpful during high-profile cases. For example, video would have been helpful in a case last year involving a St. Clair County, Ill., judge who was spotted by a police officer at the scene of a traffic accident with a beer can--which later disappeared.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisnews/
story/F30CB0EC9968BF398625733800101454?OpenDocument
"Gun ID Bill Takes a Shot at Illegal Weapons Market"
Los Angeles Times (08/15/07) P. B6; Hsu, Tiffany
The California state Senate is considering a bill that would require all new handguns to be stamped with microscopic identification tags. The bill, known as the Crime Gun Identification Act, would also require that handguns be equipped with lasers that imprint a "microstamp" of the gun's make, model, and serial number onto shell casings when the weapon is fired. The new requirements would take effect January 1, 2010, if the bill is passed. According to California Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D), who authored the bill, the legislation would help law enforcement officials trace shell casings back to a gun's registered owner. The legislation would also deter gun owners and retailers from selling to unlicensed purchasers, which would in turn reduce the number of armed criminals, Feuer said. However, opponents of the bill claimed the technology is prone to tampering and does not prevent unlicensed criminals from using the stamped guns. In addition, the microstamping technology could cause crime scenes to "easily be contaminated by a criminal throwing down a handful of shell casings he picked up from the local gun range," the Golden State 2nd Amendment Council wrote in letters to Assembly members.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/
la-me-guns15aug15,1,2366525.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california
"Clearing Emergency Radio Waves"
Wall Street Journal (08/07/07) P. A4; Boles, Corey
Sprint Nextel admits it has played hard ball in negotiations with local public-safety agencies regarding its pledge to pay at least $4.86 billion to separate the frequency channels used for its service from the airwaves used for emergency communications. The effort is an ambitious one, everyone agrees, requiring modifications to the wireless-network equipment of public-service agencies across the nation, as well as the radio communications devices they employ. It all must be accomplished while maintaining online public-safety networks. "People's lives are hanging on this," says an official with the Utah Communications Agency Network, which is supervising the channel switch in Utah. "You're having to redesign and rebuild the airplane while it's still flying." Sprint Nextel says by year's end it will have spent some $1.5 billion toward the effort and notes it has committed to spending at least $4.86 billion, meaning anything over that amount would be absorbed by the company. An official with Chester County, Pa., emergency services says he has been negotiating for three years with Sprint Nextel just to agree on funding for a preliminary study on how much it would cost to upgrade its emergency communications equipment. Presently, Sprint Nextel's offer of $400,000 is $250,000 shy of what the county requested. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118644768507989972.html
"Fit and Clean for Life"
Police (07/07) Vol. 31, No. 7, P. 40; Fahl, Keith
Body armor used by law enforcement needs to fit properly, in order to provide maximum comfort and protection, writes Armor Holdings Products Group armor technical specialist Keith Fahl. The front panel of the vest should rise above an officer's duty belt when sitting down so that it does not wrinkle or roll at the bottom of the vest, and the top neck edge needs to fit within an inch beneath the clavicle notch at the top of the sternum. The vest also needs to come slightly above the duty belt, but not touch any of the equipment connected to that belt. In addition, the vest needs to be in line with the points of the wearer's shoulders, and the vest's sides should come together or overlap to shield side areas. When cleaning the vest, the ballistic panels need to be taken off first, with both elements of the vest cleaned individually. The protective panels of the vest can be wiped down with a damp cloth or sponge, using cold water and a gentle soap. When cleaning the carrier, employ a soft bristle brush or cloth to get rid of loose dirt from the surface of the carrier and the hook-and-loop fasteners, Fahl recommends. The carrier should be washed by hand or in the machine in warm or cool water on the gentle cycle utilizing detergent or mild soap. http://www.policemag.com/Articles/2007/07/Fit-and-Clean-for-Life.aspx
"The Valley of Surveillance"
Governing (07/07) Vol. 20, No. 10, P. 38; Perlman, Ellen
Phoenix, Ariz., has acquired a surveillance camera system that allows police to keep an eye on the city's activities. The nearly $500,000 system allows Phoenix police to follow camera images from police headquarters, in patrol cars, or via handheld gadgets. The system allows police to rotate the cameras 360 degrees and have enough bandwidth to obtain almost real-time video. In addition, the cameras can perform "smart searching" of the video, without having to view the entire footage. While opponents contend that erecting cameras just moves violators to another location to avoid being caught on film, authorities note that it throws criminals off-balance, and that forcing them to uncharted areas places them at a disadvantage and enables police to possibly apprehend them as they are making errors. Phoenix's cameras are moved on a regular basis and are set up in regions where criminals are predicted to attack next. The cameras employ mesh technology, which transports images and information to the online nodes erected around a region. The mesh structure manufactures coverage "umbrellas" and information moves from one umbrella to another. http://www.governing.com/articles/7cameras.htm
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