Civic Tech

A test run of ShotSpotter technology announced in 2024 was funded by part of an $800,000 federal grant. The project was never activated; the decision follows a “comprehensive reassessment” of police priorities.

The borough Police Department used a state grant to buy four new body-worn cameras and three automated license plate readers. It includes a 10-year vendor contract that will enable periodic technology replacement.

Los Angeles County is using new technology in its L.A. Found program, which aims to help the county find people with Alzheimer’s, autism, dementia, or other cognitive conditions who may wander.

The AI Readiness Project is an endeavor intended to help states, territories, and tribal governments build their capacity to use AI responsibly through convenings, knowledge sharing and pilots.

The city has smoothed its development review process, expanding the types of projects that can move forward without conditional use approval. New software is next, coming this winter or spring.

Police in Gig Harbor, Wash., are the latest Pierce County law enforcement agency to acquire a drone. Plans are for it to assist in areas including missing persons investigations and tracking suspects.

As the invasive insect spreads, putting plant populations like grapevines and their related industries at risk, governments at all levels are using technology like drones and GIS to monitor the issue.

Through the new Vulnerability Disclosure Program, state officials invite ethical hackers and residents to help identify and report online vulnerabilities. The initiative covers a range of agencies and partners.

Officials are no longer using cameras that read license plates, while they seek a court ruling on whether images recorded are public record. The city’s seven such cameras were disabled in June.

The newly launched Recoding America Fund was announced recently by Jennifer Pahlka, a prominent civic technologist who will also serve as the chair for the group's board of directors.

The website was designed to make it easier for landlords to list their properties and also for residents to find available homes in Portage, according to a news release from the city.

The Rio Grande International Study Center is continuing its Tree Equity Study, which is part of an effort to map where trees are lacking in Laredo and across the rest of Webb County.

The department deployed the devices 1,371 times from May 2024 through Aug. 31, an analysis shows. Three neighborhoods saw them overhead most often; most were aloft 10 to 20 minutes at a time.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers awarded projects from Minnesota to Washington, spotlighting how leaders are modernizing government through data, cybersecurity and people-focused initiatives.

At its annual conference, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers recognized Ohio’s Holly Drake for her cybersecurity leadership, while also doling out other tech awards.

The county has forged a seven-year pact with BurnBot to use its tech to reduce the danger of wildfires. Its tools chew up fuel sources, then burn them and extinguish the blaze, leaving a fire line behind.

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada is deploying more AI-powered gun detection technology at its transit centers, following the addition of more armed officers and a panic button pilot project.

Jeffrey Weiner has taken the helm of the town’s IT department, overseeing GIS, media and strategic IT initiatives. He arrives from Wakefield Public Schools, where he served as its technology director.