NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary July 27, 2006

NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, July 27, 2006

"Future 911"
Boston Globe (07/24/06); Cutler, Kim-Mai

Emergency call centers in Virginia and Texas are testing out new technology that would revamp 911 communications by allowing 911 dispatchers to provide emergency responders with an array of high-tech information from emergency scenes. The technology, known as Next Generation 911 (NG911), has been introduced by a consortium that includes the National Emergency Number Association, Columbia University, and Texas A&M University. NG911 is based on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, and it allows emergency responders to utilize cutting-edge communications technologies. For example, the system would allow witnesses to a highway accident to send cell phone video or text messages to the 911 center. The system also would allow sophisticated car security systems to automatically call 911 if the vehicle's air bags deploy, forwarding the driver's health history to the 911 call center. The system also could potentially allow first responders to send video demonstrations of the Heimlich maneuver to someone's cell phone or allow fire fighters to receive the floor plan of a building before reaching the building. The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration has provided the consortium with a $570,000 grant. http://www.boston.com/business/
technology/articles/2006/07/24/future_911/

"Adding a Byte to Crime"
Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN) (07/22/06); Lazenby, Brian; Wilson, Matt

The Chattanooga, Tenn., Police Department has installed computers into its police cruisers that permit agencies to communicate with each other and transmit warrant data to officers. Sgt. Jim Massengale says a federal grant let the department buy 318 rugged PCs at a price of $5,400 each. He notes that the technology "puts at the officer's fingertips the ability to get immediate information," adding that the department plans to add such features as fingerprint identification, photographs, and video capabilities to enable footage to be distributed over the wireless computer network. Officials also say the technology will let officers benefit from a records management system that will enable agencies to collaborate on cases, allow officers to swap data via instant messaging, and permit the checking of warrants against suspects and reports of stolen vehicles or boats. However, Soddy-Daisy Police Chief Alan Branham says his agency will not be able to connect to the records system or submit reports remotely because his agency lacks the $20,000 to $30,000 required to secure a software licensing agreement. At present, Soddy-Daisy officers are limited to using the equipment to type reports and saving them to a disk or sending them through a PC inside the station, according to Branham. Meanwhile, Sheriff John Cupp says funds requested in this fiscal year's budget will enable the purchase of 30 machines by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. He says the department will soon install the new computers and will train officers on their use. http://www.tfponline.com/
QuickHeadlines.asp?sec=l&URL=

"Police Station Goes Mobile"
Washington Post (07/20/06) P. T3; Rich, Eric

Funds from the USA Patriot Act, the Maryland State Highway Administration, and the Maryland State Police were used to purchase a 56-foot-long mobile command center. The Mobile Incident Command Vehicle--part bus, part truck, and part recreational vehicle--features a dispatch center and rooftop observation deck. It is equipped with an exterior flat-screen monitor and radio, microwave, telephone, and wireless technologies that are compatible with the numerous communications systems used by state, local, and federal agencies. The $1.15 million vehicle will ensure that the state is prepared to handle a terrorist attack or other such disaster. http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/19/AR
2006071900033.html

"Helicopters Lift Police's Ability to Fight Crime"
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (FL) (07/22/06) P. 1B; Fooksman, Leon

The Palm Beach County, Fla., Sheriff's Office hopes to add a powerful twin-engine aircraft to its two-helicopter aviation unit in 2007. The $5 million helicopter would enable the 12-pilot unit to engage in search-and-rescue missions over the ocean and transport SWAT members into dangerous situations. The current aircraft of the Sheriff's Office feature surveillance cameras, map tracking, and infrared sensors, enabling the aviation unit to use high-technology to search for smugglers and terrorists along the coastline, crack down on burglars in neighborhoods, track drug dealers on street corners, and aerially patrol for missing children and Alzheimer's patients. The aviation unit costs the Sheriff's Office as much as $2.3 million a year in fuel, personnel, insurance, and other costs, and officials hope to pay for a new helicopter using grants and other funding. More law enforcement agencies across the country are looking to replace the old military helicopters they received in the mid 1990s with new multi-million dollar aircraft, according to police aviation experts. Calls to assist officers on the ground increased 35 percent from 2004 to 2005 for the aviation unit, which serves all police departments in the county.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news
/local/palmbeach/sfl-phelicopter22jul22,0,5039745.story?coll=sfla-news-palm

"Oakley to Set Up Camera System"
Contra Costa Times (CA) (07/18/06); McNamara, Danielle

The city of Oakley, Calif., will spend $30,000 to install two surveillance cameras--one at Neroly Road and Main Street and the other possibly at the Laurel ball field--and the accompanying infrastructure. The cameras are intended to deter crime, as well as enable the city's police department to quickly determine whether a reported crime actually occurred. More than a dozen such cameras were installed around Pittsburg with the help of more than $100,000 in grant and redevelopment funds. These infrared-capable cameras can transmit images to police department monitors. At some point in the future, they could be upgraded to send images to squad cars. http://www.contracostatimes.com/
mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california/15063310.htm

"Lafayette in 3-D"
KATC (LA) (07/23/06)

Officials in Lafayette, La., have unveiled a new computer program called 3-D Pictometry that will give first responders access to three-dimensional views of buildings as well as other important features. The system includes live cameras that police can click on in cases, for example, of a car wreck to know what they're dealing with before they arrive. Fire fighters will benefit from a feature that allows them to measure distances. "They put the mouse on the fire hydrant very quickly--drag their mouse to the place that's on fire, and if it's 162 feet--they know exactly how much hose to pull off the truck," explains Lafayette's Chief Information Technology Officer Keith Thibodeaux. "They know if they have what they need when they get there." Fire fighters and police also can click on floor plans before deciding on a plan of action in emergencies. http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5186442

"Funding Sought for Jail Security"
Monterey County Herald (CA) (07/18/06); Johnson, Jim

The Monterey County (Calif.) sheriff's office has requested $19,000 for security monitoring cameras and other equipment to be placed in especially high-risk areas of the county jail. The request, which will soon be reviewed by the County Board of Supervisors, comes in response to elevated levels of inmate-on-inmate violence in the jail's E and F pods, which house members of the Norteno gang. The additional cameras would provide stronger monitoring of the highest-risk inmates, which corrections officials hope will reduce the risk that they will attack others. Eventually, officials would like to expand the jail to reduce overcrowding that also contributes to violence; however, they argue that until then, more video monitoring is necessary in order to control inmates when deputies cannot be physically present. http://www.montereyherald.com/
mld/montereyherald/news/15063174.htm

"Federally Funded Security System Keeps Eye on Tri-Rail Passengers"
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (FL) (07/23/06) P. 1B; Turnbell, Michael

Law enforcement officials in Florida's Broward and Palm Beach counties will greatly benefit from a new $1.1 million security system aboard the Tri-Rail commuter rail line, according to officials. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has funded the security system, but the chances of a terrorist attack on the commuter train remain low. Tri-Rail is currently testing the security system, which allows officials to monitor commuters from a flat video screen at the head of the train, and it is expected to be up and running in August. Globe-like cameras, about the size of a softball, have been mounted to the ceiling inside every car of the train, which carries approximately 10,000 to 12,000 passengers a day. Sheriff's deputies from Broward and Palm Beach counties patrol the trains, along with Wackenhut security guards. Passengers have reported 151 incidents of common crime, such as disorderly conduct and vandalism, from July 2005 to June 2006, according to Tri-Rail. "The cameras are just another layer of security we're providing for our passengers," says Brad Barkman, operations director for Tri-Rail. "It's better to be prepared than be sorry."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news
/local/southflorida/sfl-csecurityjul23,0,3572784.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

"Eye Scanners to Help Track Sex Offenders"
Charlotte Observer (NC) (07/18/06); Lyttle, Steve

Jim Pendergraph, the sheriff of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, says his agency will be the first in the nation to rely on iris scanning technology to identify registered sex offenders. The police technology, called the Sex Offender Registration and Identification System (SORIS), will be accessible by parents to make identification tags for their children. Pendergraph says the technology is more dependable compared to fingerprints and is also "much easier to use in the field." SORIS features non-invasive digital cameras that take high-resolution images of individuals' eyes, and have been proven to be accurate, according to officials at Iridian Technologies, which is supplying the equipment to the sheriff's office. Pendergraph said his agency will allocate $110,000 for the system using funds from drug asset seizures and sales of firearms permits. Pendergraph says the iris-scanning system will create a database featuring all jail inmates, adding that the cameras and scanners will be especially helpful to discern criminal identities when they deny who they are. For example, when deputies make visits at offenders' residences, they sometimes claim that the offender has moved away. "There's no way of fooling the equipment," says Sean Mullin, head of The Child Project, a national project to create a database of children using iris-scanning technology. http://www.charlotte.com/
mld/observer/news/local/15061888.htm

"Prison Security System Bids 'a Little Bit Over'"
Greensburg Tribune-Review (PA) (07/20/06); Hunt, David

Three bids to overhaul Westmoreland County,Pa., Prison's 13-year-old automated cell lock control system have come in slightly above the $2 million prison officials hoped to pay after rejecting a $2.7 million bid to install a new security and surveillance system last month. On July 5, the control system failed. Though it was restored to most of the prison by the following day, the first floor remained down for more than a week. "Everything's been back up, and it's running good," said Deputy Warden Steve Cmar. "If it goes down again, we'll go back to keys." Commissioner Phil Light said bids that were slightly higher than the target could still be managed provided the cost is justified, "We may have to ask if there's anything that can be modified to reduce the cost," he reported. "I'm assuming if they're in the ballpark, then we're going to do it because it needs to be done." http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x
/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_462633.html

"Videoconferences Save Court Money"
Pocono Record (07/11/06); Scott, Andrew

Pennsylvania's Monroe County Court is preparing to implement a live video link system that is expected to save the county time and money because it will no longer be necessary to transport prisoners to and from jail. The use of the system also makes it less likely that inmates will escape. "It's something that can save us a significant amount of time and money while still guaranteeing the rights of incarcerated defendants to fair and equal representation in court," says Commissioner Bob Nothstein. Currently, two sheriff's deputies are in charge of transporting inmates. The new videoconferencing system will allow these deputies to perform other tasks, and it will also reduce the amount of money spent on gas and vehicle mileage. The Luzerne County Court System implemented videoconferencing in 2002, and it has saved about $1 million in that time, says Bill Ostroskie, the court system's management information analyst. http://conferencingnews.com/news/11915

"San Diego Launches MAPS"
Government Technology (07/18/06)

San Diego County has launched MAPS -- a new crime mapping application. The Internet-based mapping system allows the user to get crime information throughout San Diego County by region, neighborhood, date, and time. The project is being coordinated by the DA's Office, managed by the Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS), and involves representatives from the Diego Association of Governors (SANDAG) Public Safety Committee, local law enforcement agencies, and the community. The service will allow San Diego area residents to get information about crime near their homes, schools or when looking to move to another neighborhood, while providing law enforcement with a regional approach to fighting crime," DA Bonnie Dumanis said. The MAPS project allows for the sharing of criminal justice-related information across jurisdictional boundaries and enhances interagency communication, intelligence gathering, strategic planning, homeland security, and crime prevention efforts. http://www.govtech.net/localgovt
/story.php?id=100231

"House Bills Target Broader Emergency Communications"
TelecomWeb (07/24/06)

An emergency-alert system that voluntarily enlists traditional TV and radio networks as well as service providers of Internet email and instant messaging, wireless voice and text messages, BlackBerry server systems, and cable communications is the centerpiece of two separate proposals, the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act and the 21st Century Emergency Communications Act, currently under examination in the House of Representatives. The bills' consideration comes at a point where the Homeland Security Department, the Association of Public Television Stations, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and wireline, wireless, and cable community members are testing multimedia alert technologies that tap common traits of digital television, digital paging, and IP network transmissions. "With nearly 200 million Americans carrying cell phones and other wireless devices, it seems only natural to also look to the wireless industry to help communicate in times of emergencies," said House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet Chairman and Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.). The legislation appears to be partially driven by the shortcomings of public alert communications systems exposed by the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act includes no restrictions on available technology usage, a promise not to choose or dictate communications-alert media, and an allocation of $106 million to broaden the alert network and help coordinate various federal initiatives to enhance the system. Meanwhile, the 21st Century Emergency Communications Act would facilitate the creation of interoperable emergency communications standards, ban the expenditure of homeland security funding on equipment that does not conform with standards and statewide compatible communications strategies, and set up a new Office of Emergency Communications. http://www.telecomweb.com/tnd/18288.html

"Judge Rejects Customer Suit Over Records From AT&T"
New York Times (07/26/06) P. A13; Liptak, Adam

Federal District Court judge Matthew Kennelly in Chicago has dismissed a class-action lawsuit against AT&T over the telecom's alleged funneling of customer data to the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). Kennelly cited state secrets privilege in dismissing the case, while last week a federal judge based in San Francisco allowed a similar suit to go forward despite such claims. Kennelly ruled that his decision is consistent with the San Francisco case because his case seeks each and every phone record given to the NSA, while the San Francisco case is seeking a specific set of communications, if they in fact exist. Kennelly further reasoned that U.S. official recognition of NSA warrantless wiretapping justifies letting the San Francisco case go forward, while U.S. official silence on AT&T's particular role sets a higher bar for a case challenging AT&T. A separate case being adjudicated in Detroit already has moved beyond the procedural stage to consider the legality of the alleged NSA warrantless wiretapping program. The judge there is expected to rule soon. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/us/26nsa.html