Justice and Public Safety

A lawsuit involving several local governments, boards of education and other public entities alleges that social media companies knowingly caused harm to children and necessitated costly responses.

Through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), the FBI will use university-led research and development to address weaknesses in the electric grid, water utilities and other systems and infrastructure.

The city’s Common Council approved the purchase of six cameras; fundraising will cover the cost of the one-year pilot. Five cameras will be fixed; the sixth will be used at different locations including special events.

D.C.'s new Real-Time Crime Center is the front line in a quiet battle over who controls the police department's surveillance data. While the federal government and city fight for authority, whose surveillance rules apply?

A human-sized patrol robot named Parker, meant to record and deter crime in Montgomery County parking garages, was sidelined late last month over privacy and transparency concerns.

United Independent School District is aligning school leaders with law enforcement, community groups and local nonprofits to teach students and parents about topics like cyber bullying and responsible screen time.

In the absence of federal regulations, some legislators at the state level are pushing to protect child influencers with bills requiring their parents to set aside their earnings for a future date, and more.

A new official policy on drone usage for city government purposes spells out how they can be deployed, including for aerial surveillance, and how they should not be used. The City Council approved it Aug. 7.

A new report from the City Controller’s Office has found that while ShotSpotter tech has helped Pittsburgh police officers get to scenes faster, it has not lowered crime within the city.

With possible state changes ahead on electric bicycle rules, the city’s mayor and a City Council member will meet with a state assemblyman on the topic. Lawmakers are at work on measures regulating the devices.

The three primary areas served by the units were the townships of Holland, Park and Georgetown. Holland and Park townships last year developed alternative services.

Days after a federal judge blasted San Diego County jails for erasing audio and video footage, advocates and the loved ones of people who have died in the facilities are pushing for changes.

The new system will add GIS mapping, text and video capability, and faster routing to help call centers respond more quickly and precisely. The county is the first in the state to begin the migration.

State Attorney General Kwame Raoul encourages families to be vigilant about fake test-prep and financial-aid offers, fraudulent websites, deceptive payment schemes and other scams when shopping for school supplies online.

Oregon alleges that public officials in Morrow County pocketed several million dollars by arranging to buy a local telecommunications business from a nonprofit organization there.

The FBI’s Internet Criminal Complaint Center has issued a warning about a group called The Com or The Community, which is made up primarily of members between the ages of 11 and 25.

The state is a part of Operation Robocall Roundup, an effort among multiple states. The Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force will send warning letters to 37 entities demanding they cease the illegal calls.

The deal comes as Versaterm acquires a drone technology supplier in the public safety space, part of a broader period of intense activity of large financing deals in the gov tech space.