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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Following interviews with 27 people who work directly in the country’s courts systems, a study by Next Century Cities has found that digitizing the courts may exclude residents on the wrong side of the digital divide.
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After years of hashing out concerns with privacy advocates, the BART board on Thursday approved an up to $2.4 million contract to install license plate readers at parking lots throughout the transit system.
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A new survey from Veritone shows respondents support police using technology such as body-worn cameras and facial recognition technology when used to find criminal suspects. Can they be used to increase trust as well?
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Solar power means the cameras can be placed in more locations, while AI means police can search more easily for vehicle type rather than just license plate number. It’s a trend law enforcement has been moving toward.
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The scenic national campground sites in the United States that require highly competitive and hard to get reservations see more white, high-income visitors than campsites that don’t require reservations.
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As part of a legal war over unemployment bills, the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency has interrupted a court decision that would have halted collections on pandemic jobless aid.
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Conservative groups in Colorado have filed a lawsuit in response to new transportation fees that came from a bill signed by Gov. Jared Polis last year. The lawsuit claims state lawmakers illegally side-stepped voters.
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According to experts on identity theft, thieves are increasingly using real Social Security numbers with random or fake names to create new identities — otherwise known as synthetic identity fraud.
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The municipal court in Chandler, Ariz., is expanding its virtual service to better protect survivors of domestic violence through the justice system. The court has teamed up with a local shelter on the project.
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The company, which sells computer-aided dispatch tech, says triage for 911 calls can reduce pressure on first responders. A program in Rochester, N.Y., also shows the potential for costs savings for public agencies.
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A former Uber employee filed a lawsuit claiming that the company broke federal law by instructing her to provide very little information to the police and courts in response to various legal situations.
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The Michigan Department of Corrections is expanding the learning management system it first evaluated last year to broaden education opportunities for offenders and better prepare them for their re-entry transition.
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The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness has launched a disinformation portal to give residents a fighting chance at distinguishing real from falsified online content.
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In 2019, California banned the use of facial recognition in police cameras. That law, however, is set to expire at the end of 2022. The state should consider extending the ban based on the tech’s limitations.
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A city audit indicates that the Portland Police Bureau should have been more transparent and purposeful with the personal information it collected about racial justice protesters in 2020.
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The backlash against secret surveillance of San Diego residents led to new legislation Tuesday when the City Council unanimously approved a new privacy advisory board that will evaluate all future surveillance proposals.
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First responders in Jefferson County, N.Y., are now using an upgraded and improved public safety radio system. The project was constructed over 10 years, and the county saved $15 million in the process.
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The COVID-inspired pivot to remote court hearings may be here to stay. While virtual proceedings may need improved tech support, overall they allow more people to be heard in the justice system.
