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Public Safety Technology in the News
Stoughton School, Police Officials Talk to Parents About ALICE School Shooter Response Program
Stoughton Patch, (03/08/2013), Michael Hardman
Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate (ALICE) methods are being implemented in the schools of Stoughton, Mass., in the wake of training for officers and teachers and a community educational forum. The ALICE protocol replaces past procedures that involved going into lockdown and taking cover while waiting for law enforcement. ALICE advocates a more proactive response.
New Body Armor Ordered for Laurel Sheriff’s Department
The Times Tribune, (03/08/2013)
Officers with the Laurel County (Ky.) Sheriff’s Department will soon receive new body armor paid for with proceeds from the sale of confiscated firearms. The department has received approval of an application for a grant administered by the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security’s Law Enforcement Protection Program, which is funded by proceeds from sales of weapons confiscated by the Kentucky State Police.
State Police to Send Cellphone Amber Alerts
ABC2News.com, (03/07/2013)
All cellphones that can receive wireless emergency alerts, not just those that have registered, now receive AMBER Alerts from the Maryland State Police. The alert includes a loud tone similar to emergency alerts on radio and television and a related text message.
SCV Sheriff’s Station Deputies to Take Part in Tweet-Along March 22
KHS, (03/08/2013), Perry Smith
A worldwide “tweetalong” will involve numerous law enforcement agencies on March 22, including the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies. More than 100 agencies from six countries have signed up to participate in the 24-hour Tweet-A-Thon, which has a goal of bringing attention to the use of social media by law enforcement. The event starts at 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time. Agencies will tweet using the same hashtag, #poltwt, to create awareness about police work and issues police face, as well as to promote the use of social media in law enforcement.
Social Media Helps Police Get the Word Out
Virginian-Pilot, (03/10/2012), Veronica Gonzalez
The police department in Chesapeake, Va., uses Nextdoor.com, a neighborhood-centered social media platform, to provide information about recent crime trends to surrounding communities The department also has a Facebook page and uses an app called myPD, where users can find department contacts, submit crime tips, file a report or commend a carrier. When Officer Trey Beveridge found out about a rash of burglaries in Western Branch and Deep Creek, he told the neighbors by using Nextdoor.com. Holly Parker, who lives in Western Branch, said burglars broke into her home and stole family heirloom jewelry. She subsequently got her neighborhood of 15 homes to join Nextdoor.com to help prevent others from falling victim to what happened to her.
Illinois Department of Corrections Heads to the Cloud
Government Technology, (02/28/2013), Brian Heaton
The Illinois Department of Corrections is moving to the cloud to improve the tracking and managing of inmates. The department is implementing Offender360, a cloud-based system that corrections officials say will allow consolidation of disparate systems and improve efficiency. The system is expected to improve all aspects of inmate management, from where the prisoner is to notifying victims upon a prisoner’s release. Offender360 is a product from Tribridge, an IT services and business consulting firm. The system is built on the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online platform. The first phase of the Illinois DOC transition should be finished in June. Most offender records should be fully transferred to the new system in about a year.
Puppies Behind Bars: Inmates at Clinton Women’s Prison Train Explosive Sniffing Dogs
Hunterdon Review, (03/07/2013), Camilla Somers
Inmates at New Jersey’s sole prison for women are training dogs in the art of explosives detection. Puppies Behind Bars, founded in 1997, first started training guide dogs for the blind at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton in April 2001. The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 increased the need for explosive detection dogs, and now the inmates exclusively train dogs for agencies like the New York City Police Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In the past 12 years, inmates have trained 122 dogs, 79 of which are currently employed as explosive detection canines.
Schools Fast-Track Security Upgrades
Austin American Statesman, (03/11/2013), Melissa B. Taboada
The Austin school district and other school districts in central Texas are adding security cameras, installing new locks and making other security improvements in the wake of the December 2012 shootings at a Connecticut elementary school that took the lives of 20 students and six educators. Districts are pulling money from reserves or using money left over from previous bonds so they can make the changes immediately. Austin district leaders have designated $500,000 for safety improvements, including installing panic buttons in elementary schools. An additional $21 million has been designated for other improvements, including transitioning to security card access for school doors. In the Round Rock school district, construction crews are creating security vestibules, which are a second set of doors that visitors cannot pass through until going to the school office for a security check.
Trenton Council Approves $250,000 to Start Replacing Police, Fire Radios
The Times of Trenton, (03/08/2013), Erin Duffy
The Trenton police and fire departments will soon be outfitted with new portable and mobile radios. The city council approved $250,000 for the two departments to purchase 300 portable and 100 mobile radios to test the equipment over the next several months. It is the first phase of a $3.5 million project to replace 1,500 police and fire radios. The city will buy another 600 radios in a second phase, and in a third phase will buy the remaining radios and dispatch consoles, satellite receivers and amplifiers used to send and receive radio signals in high-rise buildings. The departments’ current portable and mobile radios were purchased in 1996 and are wearing down. The radios will be interoperable, allowing responders from different agencies to communicate, and backwards compatible, meaning they can work with older technology.
Sacramento Police Launch New Crime Mapping Program on Website
Sacramento Bee, (03/07/2013)
Citizens of Sacramento can watch for crime trends in their community and receive email alerts thanks to a new online crime mapping program used by the Sacramento Police Department. Officials say the new program, RAIDS Online, is easier to use than mapping technology previously on the department’s website. Users can sign up for email alerts when a crime is reported in their neighborhood.
Facial Recognition System Leads to Thousands of Fraud Arrests
WNYT-TV, (03/06/2013)
Facial recognition technology is proving to be a valuable tool for the New York Department of Motor Vehicles. Officials said the system is adept at flagging possible identity fraud. So far 2,500 people have been arrested. A number of people had multiple licenses or were trying to get a new license after their original one was suspended. Facial recognition works by converting digital photos into mathematical algorithms, using 64 points on a face to identify a person. Forty other states us facial recognition technology.
Beaverton Police to Provide Phones to Violence Victims
KPTV, (03/12/2013)
An Oregon police department is providing donated cellphones to victims of domestic violence and stalking. The Beaverton Police Department notes that even cellphones without service plans have the ability to call 911. The department said that emergency cellphones are an important part of overall safety plans for people who may need help but can’t get to another phone. All cell phones donated to the program must have a charger and be in working condition. Police recommend removing the SIM card and erasing photos and other information from the phone before donating.
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