Justice and Public Safety

Cybersafety Group Educates Madison, Wis., Community

October 25, 2012 - Law enforcement shares knowledge and best practices on digital safety.

Constitutionality of Stingrays Debated in Texas

October 23, 2012 - The use of fake cellphone towers by federal investigators to solve crimes is facing opposition from a Texas judge and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Weigh Station Tech Could Make Roads Safer

October 23, 2012 - Two technologies that could reduce wrecks and increase efficiency at commercial truck weigh stations will be inspected by officials in Indiana.

Tracing the History of Biometrics

October 23, 2012 - The practice of distinguishing humans based on intrinsic physical or behavior traits goes back thousands of years.

Louisiana First to Launch Ballistic Information Network

October 19, 2012 - The National Integrated Ballistic Information Network has already linked 600 shootings.

Virginia "Socializes" Public Safety

October 18, 2012 - Gov. Bob McDonnell launches new Twitter and Facebook accounts to keep the public better informed about public safety issues and increase communication.

Texas Buys High-Tech $7.4 Million Aircraft

October 18, 2012 - Similar to aircraft uses by the U.S. airforce for wartime operations, the Texas Department of Public Safety ordered a custom Pilatus PC-12 complete with a $1.3 million imaging and downlink system.

Chicago Crowdsources Gun Violence Solutions Via Twitter

October 17, 2012 - To address rising homicide rates in Chicago, the city turns to Twitter for answers.

Registry Connects Functional Needs Residents to Safety During Emergencies

October 17, 2012 - Centralized registry allows St. Louis residents with functional needs to be contacted by authorities during emergencies that may require evacuation.

Northern Border Patrol Agents Get High Tech

October 16, 2012 - A 35-foot Whaler outfitted with radiation detection equipment, sonar gear and infrared scanners allows officials to stop smugglers, human traffickers and terrorists.

Will Private DNA Services Replace State Crime Labs?

October 11, 2012 - New technology may give local police more ownership quicker processing of DNA evidence collected from arrested individuals.

Preventing Wrong-Way Driving Gets a Tech Assist

October 10, 2012 - Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office plans to implement technology that warns wrong-way drivers.

FirstNet: Answers to Key Questions

October 10, 2012 - The national public safety broadband network board must hit the ground running to deal with funding, governance, partnerships and broadband projects already in progress.

Predictive Policing a Success in Santa Cruz, Calif.

October 8, 2012 - City sees significant reduction in property theft thanks in part to predictive crime modeling.

Data Sharing Fights Crime in the Desert

October 3, 2012 - Mesa, Ariz., collaborates on a shared platform with in-state, out-of-state jurisdictions.

New Explosives Scanner Keeps People Moving

October 3, 2012 - A new scanner developed by Japanese researchers may someday return travelers to pre-9/11 security wait times.

Study: Police Are No Longer Social Media Skeptics

October 3, 2012 - What began as a diversion primarily used by teenagers has grown into a useful tool used by most law enforcement agencies, according to a new report from the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Littleton, Colo., Offers Mobile Alert System for Citizens

October 2, 2012 - Residents can now subscribe to a mobile app that notifies them of emergencies in their local areas.

Ready AR Aims to Prepare Arkansans

October 2, 2012 - New app serves as mobile extension of state’s emergency website.

Seattle Police Take Tweeting to Another Level

October 2, 2012 - Each of the city's 51 police beats now reports crimes using Twitter, informing residents by neighborhood of what's happening around them.