Justice and Public Safety

How Will Boston Modernize City Fire Alarms?

January 15, 2013 - Boston releases a request for information to upgrade nearly 2,200 fire alarm boxes in the city with more modern technology.

Former Utah CIO Steve Fletcher Joins NTIA

January 14, 2013 - In his role as associate administrator of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration’s Office of Public Safety Communications, Fletcher will continue to interact with the state and local connections he's made over the years.

Pennsylvania State Police Launch Suspicious Activity App

January 11, 2013 - The department's 'See Something, Send Something' app lets citizens capture and send suspicious activity to the Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center.

4 Ways Tech Can Make Guns Safer

January 9, 2013 - Last month's tragedy in Newtown, Conn., stirs debate about smart technologies that restrict the circumstances in which guns can be fired.

Texas Judge Rejects Student's Appeal over School-Issued RFID Tag

January 9, 2013 - After just a few months, Judge Orlando Garcia determines the student's freedom of religion had no been violated.

Child Sex Trafficking Data Pooled in Texas

January 7, 2013 - Two new online repositories will contain a wealth of information for social workers, law enforcement personnel and volunteers working against trafficking crimes.

Catching Criminals on Pinterest?

January 2, 2013 - The widely used, visually-oriented platform is helping social media-savvy law enforcement agencies drive up arrest rates.

Opinion: First Responders’ Experience, Creativity Critical to Building Relevant, Widely Used FirstNet

December 27, 2012 - The need to connect first responders via a truly interoperable public safety broadband network is clearer than ever.

Online Clues to Gun Violence?

December 21, 2012 - One major city convenes officials to investigate how the Internet might yield information that can prompt early intervention and potentially prevent mass shootings.

Mapping Tool for Sandy Relief Efforts Created Using Amazon Web Services

December 17, 2012 - Len Bundra, GIS director of the Toms River Municipalities Authority, thinks creatively to help those in need.

Aerial Drone Aids in Chemical Train Derailment Response

December 12, 2012 - Birds-eye technology kept emergency personnel out of harm’s way while delivering photos of accident scene.

FirstNet Faces Major Obstacles

December 10, 2012 - The nationwide interoperable emergency network could be as far as 10 years away and require an additional $10 billion in funding.

9 Ways Social Media Benefits Police

December 10, 2012 - A new report discusses in depth just how social media can be used to support law enforcement.

Text-to-911 Available Nationwide in 2014

December 7, 2012 - The four big cellular carriers agree to start rolling out Text-to-911 service in 2013, with nationwide implementation the following year.

Florida County Uses Video Game Simulation to Teach Teens About Drunk Driving

December 6, 2012 - Lee County, Fla.'s teen education program uses simulation to show young drivers how being drunk, distracted, drugged or even drowsy behind the wheel affects the ability to drive.

Upgrades to Storm Data Application Successful Post-Sandy

December 5, 2012 - A new Web-based application made incident reporting more efficient and cut down the time it took to compile an assessment report in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Davenport, Iowa, PD Uses 3D Scanner for Crime Scenes

November 30, 2012 - This new scanner allows police officers to take in and measure a crime scene in 40 minutes to an hour, compared to the typical three to four hours.

Temporary Tags Get Permanent, Electronically

November 27, 2012 - Law enforcement in New Jersey benefits from an upgrade to a paper-based vehicle registration tag system that issues tags in real time.

Database Houses Emergency Contacts for PA Residents

November 26, 2012 - Pennsylvania Department of Transportation launches Yellow Dot program and database to store emergency contact and medical information for state residents.

Senate to Reconsider Warrantless Cell Phone Searches

November 26, 2012 - A Senate committee will consider limited changes to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which could alter how courts interpret the use of cell phone data.