Justice and Public Safety

The deal, reportedly worth at least $800 million, supposedly is in “advanced” talks. Such a deal would reflect the robust state of the public safety tech business, and the attracting quality of AI.

Government Technology got an inside look at one Minnesota police department's drone program to see how a deadly manhunt exposed limits of its current drone tech and why they're now aspiring for a DFR model.

Electronic health record rollouts in Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia mark a shift toward tech-driven patient care in state correctional facilities. One aim is freeing up more staff time for direct patient care.

The city has installed 69 security camera units and 21 more are on the way. Their AI capabilities, however, will not be utilized, Mayor Bill Collins said recently, indicating they are an investigative tool for police.

Without advanced DNA testing developed by a Texas lab, Iowa City Police investigators may not have been able to identify an infant found in 1992 in an Iowa City landfill.

The public safety technology provider is supplying Arizona’s liquor licensing agency with tools that include a unified platform. State officials call the move part of their general transformation of their work systems.

Three law enforcement agencies are seeking to establish a $10 million self-governing authority within a statewide information sharing agreement, a shift from the current model overseen by the county.

The white, bullet-shaped, sub-5-foot, 420-pound robot is like a neighborhood beat cop as it glides its way through the Crossroads district on four wheels, gathering data from its cameras and greeting passersby.

Given the relative frequency of school shootings nationwide, Connecticut schools are fielding concerns from parents about whether and how they can reach their kids in an emergency.

Serving as a pilot program in New York as a “Digital Jury Trial Courtroom,” the upgraded courtroom is one of 12 like it on Staten Island planned for meaningful technology improvements.

A new security standard for schools from the nonprofit American National Standards Institute (ANSI) suggests a three-pronged approach involving physical protection, behavior management and emergency operations planning.

Local governments have been deliberate in rolling out and using the unmanned devices. Transparent information, one analyst said, can help law enforcement find the “big picture” and determine if drones are worth it.

The City Council voted 7-2 to expand the use of the cameras despite vocal opposition by residents and groups worried the system will be used by federal authorities to persecute immigrants and communities of color.

The contract, which can be terminated without cause at any time, will cost about $2.6 million for five years, as the city re-ups its use of a controversial system of audio sensors to help police respond to gunfire.

In an effort to address delays in releasing people from jail, the Sheriff’s Office is looking to update its Adult Information Systems to be more integrated with an existing case management system.

As calls for service involving electric bikes and scooters rise, municipalities are tightening up regulations on the devices. Leawood and Prairie Village are among the latest to establish age and operational requirements.

At an upcoming meeting, the Watsonville City Council will vote on whether to expand its contract with Flock Safety, which provides automated license plate readers to the city.

The incident early Thursday compromised computers connected to the law enforcement agency’s system, but did not impact jail computers. The parish shares its boundaries with the city of New Orleans.