Justice & Public Safety
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The local police department recently unveiled a new rooftop drone port at headquarters. The agency fielded approximately 10,000 drone flights in 2025 and expects about twice as many this year. -
While the city has used drones before, Chief Roderick Porter said the two new aerial vehicles the department is getting under a contract with security tech company Flock Safety are more advanced.
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More than 200 Wisconsin law enforcement agencies use license plate reading technology. The state’s capital city, however, has so far not installed such cameras even as its neighbors have done so.
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With stay-at-home orders in place indefinitely, phone calls, emails, online chats and Zoom fundraisers have replaced going door-to-door, holding rallies and staging events to meet prospective supporters and donors.
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Police in Westport, Conn., thought they had found a viable method to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak in the form of a new drone, but public comments inspired the local department to abandon the technology.
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With the coronavirus pandemic still gripping the planet, one of the newest avenues for con artists is in the field of telemedicine, in which health diagnoses and monitoring are rendered remotely and electronically.
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Public health experts warn that quick, effective tracing is key to reducing the spread, and while Massachusetts isn’t implementing mobile contact tracing due to privacy concerns, the governor hasn’t dismissed the idea.
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This week, an Indiana company will begin installing thermal screening systems for clients. The technology existed before the crisis, but officials said the heightened focus on public health has expanded the market.
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While traditional crime has dropped in the western world, complex offenses are increasing. It’s important that public safety agencies explain how and why the mission shift is underway through better transparency.
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The controversial Baltimore Police surveillance program is preparing to launch its first flight on Friday. The pilot program is funded by a privately held company with aims of reducing violent crime.
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Two county DAs and New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli are coordinating with other law enforcement officials to protect the public from Internet scammers who are using COVID-19 to rip off unsuspecting people.
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Three school zones have been identified as sites for automated speed enforcement. The cameras will record license plate information of drivers going at least 15 miles per hour over the speed limit.
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Keenly aware of potential coronavirus-induced budget cuts, members of the Springfield, Ill., city council are debating whether the police department should move forward with its implementation of ShotSpotter.
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A hacker showed inappropriate content during a New Jersey school’s class on Zoom, the online video conferencing service that has soared in popularity during online learning due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Racine, Wisc., has approved most of the city’s Rental Empowerment and Neighborhood Tenant Services initiative, but a malware attack on the city’s computer networks could delay the work.
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A number of U.S. police departments have utilized drones as part of their efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, though public safety agencies differ in the way they employ the emerging technology.
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Madison, Wis., city leaders voted unanimously this week to again consider whether the jurisdiction’s police force should be equipped with body-worn cameras, doing so via a unanimous vote to create a new committee.
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This was the first time the court had heard a case involving the automatic license plate readers, saying the use at a fixed point on bridges did not amount to a search and seizure, but the widespread use could.
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Data on the availability of text-to-911 is spotty, so it's difficult to get a consistent national picture. However, the numbers that are available show that some states are far more advanced than others.
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The city will add 37 of the automated cameras on various signals. The cameras work by capturing all license plate numbers that come into view and can alert the police to the locations of wanted suspects.
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In Marin County, Calif., remote education during the pandemic is proving to be a struggle for many homebound parents and families, but for those with special needs children it’s even more demanding.
