Justice and Public Safety

While mobile IDs promise new access for people with disabilities, a "one ID, one device" model and accessibility failures threaten to exacerbate the digital divide, according to experts in the field.

Officials are upgrading software designed to share data from police agencies, dispatchers and jail staff. A popular online log of inmate mug shots has gone dark during the update but emergency response systems are unaffected.

By adding drones, an online listing reads, the police department would “enhance public safety, improve response times, and optimize situational awareness during critical incidents.”

The laws will protect tech customers from shady auto-renewal subscriptions, the sale of stolen goods via online marketplaces and self-cleaning requirements for guests at short-term rentals.

Paid for through grant funding, the new suite of tools included in the free app is designed to make it easier for residents to connect with law enforcement, including a tip line and community outreach programs.

County commissioners approved buying an AI-infused system to help review 911 calls and radio traffic for quality assurance. The new solution will also provide more detailed statistical data than is now available.

The technology, which uses biometric facial recognition, is being used to screen U.S. citizens returning home on international flights to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, to make it easier to clear customs.

The public safety tech vendor has attracted critics opposed to its data and surveillance polices. The company’s CEO has come out in defense of the company and set fresh policies and counter measures.

By putting surveillance cameras on more school buses, East Baton Rouge Parish public schools hope that video evidence will diffuse arguments around student behavior or poor driving and result in fewer insurance claims.

The move represents the latest example of investors putting capital into the emergency dispatch technology space, which is rapidly growing. GovWorx uses artificial intelligence to help 911 call centers improve operations.

The L.A. Police Commission, pointing to success at other departments around the nation, has approved an updated policy letting drones be used in more situations. These include “calls for service.”

A new aircraft there has room for one person, can land on water, is equipped with a parachute, and can fly at night, costing less than a helicopter as well as needing less time to get airborne.

The city’s police department is seeking funding for license plate reader cameras with artificial intelligence. If approved, the devices would be able to automatically alert those associated with a police report.

Drones as first responders is a growing program in police departments across the country, and Virginia Beach will soon be the first city in its region to use the technology.

Drones and aircraft were key in Minnesota's largest manhunt, helping capture an armed and dangerous man without further violence, reflecting a broader trend of law enforcement's growing reliance on aviation technology.

A new State of the 9-1-1 Industry report examines the barriers governments face as they work toward Next-Generation 911, including aging equipment, lack of funding and difficulty coordinating with other agencies.

Officials in Grand Traverse County, Mich., are seeking county board approval for an artificial intelligence-powered “call taking system” that would help identify and reroute non-emergency calls to 911.

The City Council in San Rafael voted unanimously this month to renew the San Rafael Police Department's military equipment use policy, which included introducing a new drone program.