Justice and Public Safety

S.F. Bay Area Transit Cops Testing Clip-On Cameras

October 3, 2011 - Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police are beta testing clip-on video cameras that officials hope will increase transparency, accountability and ultimately protect officers from false complaints.

Can Smartphones Help Stop Illegal Fishing in California?

September 30, 2011 - The California Department of Fish and Game takes a mobile website listing marine protected areas to the high seas.

Video Visitation Bus Connects Jail Inmates to Families

September 30, 2011 - To help inmates communicate with loved ones, the Pinellas County, Fla., Sheriffs Offices high-tech bus allows the public to video conference with the incarcerated without visiting the county jail.

RoboCop Revisited: How Automation Is Transforming Public Safety

September 30, 2011 - From mobile robots to laser scanners, technology is making police officers safer and more effective.

Reflecting on Priorities After 9/11

September 28, 2011 - Terror attacks put true priorities into perspective.

Wi-Fi Testers Helping Local Police Fight Child Porn

September 26, 2011 - The Martinez, Calif., Police Department investigates suspects tied to child pornography with the assistance of a Wi-Fi testing tool.

Group Calls for Limits on Electronic Tracking by Law Enforcement

September 22, 2011 - Extended use of GPS and other tracking technologies without warrant is unconstitutional, bipartisan group says.

For IndyCar Race Baltimore Put Situational Awareness in Top Gear

September 21, 2011 - To prepare for the Baltimore Grand Prix, the city integrated multiple agencies’ camera feeds onto a single platform.

Atlanta Police Including Private Surveillance Cameras in Monitoring Center

September 20, 2011 - Police have begun monitoring 100 cameras located in downtown Atlanta from within the city’s new Video Integration Center.

Study: Surveillance Cams Worth the Money, Don’t Always Reduce Urban Crime

September 19, 2011 - The Urban Institute examined surveillance camera systems in use by law enforcement to address what the organization said is a dearth of research on the topic.

Phoenix Police to Wear Cameras on Uniforms

September 19, 2011 - “Smart Policing” grant will allow the partner organizations to examine how the video cameras will impact their policing effectiveness and the public’s satisfaction with officers’ performance.

App Lets University Students Send Video Instantly to Police

September 16, 2011 - With the M-Urgency app, smartphone users on the University of Maryland, College Park campus can broadcast real-time audio and video to emergency dispatchers with the push of a button.

Unique Radio Standards Training Debuts in Colorado

September 15, 2011 - Colorado Interoperability Training Program will teach a set of standards that will give public safety professionals a better understanding of radio equipment and a shared language for emergencies and everyday use.

Tomball, Texas, PD Flies a Gyroplane on Patrol (VIDEO)

September 14, 2011 - he Tomball, Texas, Police Department has become famous in recent weeks for flying a “gyroplane” instead of a helicopter for traffic enforcement and surveillance. According to Auto-Gyro, the manufacturer of the craft, the city of Tomball procured the MTOsport gyroplane late last year.

‘Best Idea for Government’ Nets Federal Worker $50,000

September 14, 2011 - Federal Highway Administration employee proposed a nationwide, centralized database for inventorying unused assets in government agencies so that they would be shared.

Could Airbag Technology Put an End to High-Speed Car Chases?

September 12, 2011 - The vehicle is electric-powered and has the ability to accelerate up to 130 mph within three seconds.

How Fusion Centers Help Protect California’s Critical Infrastructure

September 2, 2011 - Mike Dayton, acting secretary of the California Emergency Management Agency, explains how California utilizes fusion centers and works with the private sector to protect critical infrastructure.

Proposal Would Block Cell Phone Transmissions in California Prisons

September 2, 2011 - Aiming to crack down on illegal cell phone use by inmates, a bill is moving forward in the California Legislature that would authorize the use of “managed access technology” to block wireless transmissions in California prisons.

Traffic Accident Database Goes Online in Virginia

September 1, 2011 - The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles puts traffic accident reports online, plans detailed incident data beginning in 2012.

Little Progress on National Public Safety Network 10 Years After 9/11

August 31, 2011 - A decade after the 9/11 attacks, strides have been made in regional public safety interoperability, but a nationwide system is still lacking.