Justice and Public Safety

The Winnebago County, Ill., Sheriff’s Department wants a new fleet of SUVs that are fully loaded and packing a lot of heat, heat as in Fahrenheit temperatures hot enough to kill COVID-19 on contact.

Thanks to a judge’s permission, Hartford County authorities wiretapped a suspect’s Facebook audio calls in 2020 for a drug trafficking case. A handful of similar wiretaps have occurred in Maryland since 2018.

ITsimple’s newest product aims to provide what amounts to a mobile safe space for residents and law enforcement to interact. The launch of the tools comes amid recent hurdles for many community policing efforts.

Last month, a dozen prisoners at the state penitentiary in Bismark, N.D., began taking tech training classes as part of a new program. The program is funded by a $250,000 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act grant.

A panel of judges outlined some of the benefits and drawbacks of handling court hearings through video technology Thursday as state lawmakers pondered how they should make remote hearings part of standard court practice.

Schools in Northern Alabama have deployed smart devices from Applied Information Inc. that send visual and audible signals to connected vehicles within 50 feet of school zones or stopped buses.

The gunshot detection tech provider faces serious controversy in Chicago. But the company keeps on growing and has big plans for the coming months, thanks in part to fresh product offerings.

As public safety agencies embrace new software, more companies are forming partnerships and networks. The deals could enable more access to life-saving data when first responders arrive on scene.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office in New York has released a dashboard that informs the public of drug overdose trends in the local area. Multiple local police agencies shared data for the project.

A partnership between the federal government and the private sector has led to a new National Weather Service alert system for thunderstorms that could cause severe damage with hail and wind.

Governing bodies in Calhoun County, Ala., are considering whether to upgrade the county's P25 radio system for police, fire and other agencies. A study about options and costs will likely be conducted.

A state law passed in June will require schools to use mobile or Bluetooth-enabled alert systems for staff to report an active shooter, medical issue or other threat to first responders in real time.

The startup’s roots are in hooking up fire agencies with building data. But in five years, it’s expanded into other areas of IT and dipped into EMS and police, too. With new investment, it hopes to double its headcount.

As public safety agencies buy new software, Versaterm continues its acquisition spree. SPIDR’s products enable police officers to better communicate with 911 callers, crime victims and citizens.

The Richmond County Sheriff's Office in Georgia is employing a camera system from Altanta-based company Flock Safety to track down criminals. Those who use the system claim it's not a threat to privacy.

When word got out that a sample of the late Anthony Bourdain's voice in a documentary was created by artificial intelligence, critics and skeptics took aim. But deepfake tech could change audio work forever.

Criminal ransomware attacks launched from Russia have shaken the U.S. but are not particularly valuable to Putin, experts say. The right political pressure could reduce this kind of cyber crime.

Hesperia, Calif., will buy seven more automated license plate reader cameras, despite a number of residents who expressed concern that the surveillance technology could turn the city into an Orwellian dystopia.