Justice & Public Safety
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San Jose is the latest city whose use of the cameras to snag criminal suspects, critics say, also threatens privacy and potentially runs afoul of laws barring access by out-of-state and federal agencies. -
The Flathead County Sheriff's Office is set to receive a new remote underwater vehicle after getting approval from county commissioners on Tuesday.
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Thurston County, Wash., commissioners are currently considering regulating the county’s acquisition and use of artificial intelligence-enabled surveillance technology with a new draft ordinance.
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Marin County Search and Rescue have been using e-bikes for the past year to extend the range and speed of rescue missions. The first pair of donated bikes were introduced in 2019 and the fleet has since been expanded.
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Gov. Charlie Baker is taking a cautious approach to the police reform bill on his desk, which includes — among other things — limits on facial recognition tech. Baker says clarity is needed to understand the limitations.
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Chula Vista Police have allowed other agencies — including Immigration and Customs Enforcement — to access the data it collects from license plate readers as part of a previously unreported private partnership.
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The state faces challenges in enabling participation in its legislative proceedings while both protecting public health and avoiding inadvertently disenfranchising those on the wrong side of the technological divide.
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Experts say cyberattacks on public school systems are on the rise around the country. Just days after a Baltimore County attack, schools in Alabama were also shut down by a ransomware incident.
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The cameras were approved unanimously by the city council back in early August at a cost of more than $260,000. A total of 120 cameras were purchased with revenues generated by the city's traffic cameras.
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During 2018, the Montana Highway Patrol started using drones and photogrammetry software to examine crash scenes. Officers say the tech has dramatically increased efficiency, safety and accuracy.
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How TikTok Is Upending Workplace Social Media Policies – and Giving Us Rebel Nurses and Dancing CopsWorkers are increasingly making short videos of themselves on the job and posting them to TikTok, creating a new challenge for employers trying to police their behavior.
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Plus, Code for America expands its focus on taxes with a new leadership hire, a new Pew Charitable Trusts analysis examines how much broadband speed is needed for American households, and more.
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Washington's long-awaited COVID-19 notification app WA Notify was launched on Monday by the state's Department of Health, and iPhone users were sent a message asking them to opt in or out by toggling a switch.
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Police agencies will be sharply limited in using facial recognition technology to solve crimes, detect threats or find suspects under a sweeping police reform proposal approved by the state Legislature.
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The Madison City Council has now banned all internal city agencies, including the Madison Police Department, from using new facial recognition technology for any functional reasons or purposes.
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At the urging of the Sheriff's Office, Spokane County Commissioners have authorized a new work group to consider purchasing body cameras and a data management system that would store footage and other evidence.
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While preparing the first shipment of vaccines, state officials are hoping Washington residents will agree to use their smartphones to learn of times when they have been in contact with someone infected with COVID-19.
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For years, a handful of officers without patrol cars, such as motorcycle, bicycle and foot-patrol units, have used body cameras. Police officials recently decided to expand them to all patrol and other frontline officers.
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A roughly three-hour disruption sent police and sheriffs scrambling to post alternative phone numbers to social media, while multiple counties were unable to log into the state's 911 system during that time.
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From worldwide protests to policy moves from technology giants like IBM and Amazon, the past year saw police use of tools like facial recognition and body cams come under scrutiny like never before.
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Government Technology’s editorial staff looks back on the year that was and the complex ways the COVID-19 pandemic impacted everything from policing and civic tech to infrastructure and telework.
