Justice and Public Safety

The state’s Flood Inundation Mapping Alert Network website, updated this year, now offers a quicker, more seamless look at data from state and federal agencies. It can now predict in real time when areas will rise to flood stage.

The department bought six drones this year after voters approved Proposition E, which lets police use surveillance cameras and drones to pursue felony and violent misdemeanor suspects. The drones facilitated three arrests in July.

Members of a special section of the Metropolitan Police Department gathered Tuesday at Metro’s Southeast Area Command to introduce a special member of their team: a crime fighting robot.

As the U.S. becomes more diverse, emergency call centers are responding to more non-English speakers. Prepared and its competitors are using AI to power more capable, real-time translation.

The much-anticipated decision marks a significant victory for federal regulators trying to rein in the power of Big Tech and could send shock waves through the tech world.

A new AI-powered tool called JusticeText — exclusive to public defenders — has emerged, offering a boost in analyzing case evidence efficiently to level the playing field and ensure fair defense.

When the police department in Laredo, Texas, deployed new software, they used it to reduce firearms incidents while also mapping dangerous roads. But other lessons followed — lessons other agencies can use.

The county’s chief executive demonstrated the new system’s coverage and use of artificial intelligence earlier this week. It uses 104 cameras on the Ma and Pa Heritage Trail to provide a nearly 360-degree live view of the path.

Officials say federal investigators closed a criminal investigation into allegations that state police troopers potentially falsified data for thousands of traffic tickets, but seven officers may face discipline.

Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., CIO Derrick Arias offers his account of triaging the July CrowdStrike/Microsoft event and what his team will take from the experience to apply when — not if — they experience another outage.

Various Microsoft 365 and Azure services went down for about eight hours Tuesday. This time, a distributed denial-of-service attack, and a mishap with the company’s cyber defenses, were behind the outage.

As much of communication is handed over to connected devices, the newest product from RapidSOS offers processing for sensor-initiated 911 calls. The company is also focused on firefighting tech.

The new program, which the public can access online, maps crimes in the city using 15 icons to show arson, assault, burglary, vandalism and vehicle burglaries. It retains data for up to 180 days, though precise locations are not shown.

The Next Generation Fire System, a new AI program from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, can process a fire hose of satellite data to spot fires smaller than a football field. Authorities tested it last month.

The technology has been used since 2021 at Raleigh-Durham International Airport to check arriving international passengers. The Transportation Security Administration is now using it at checkpoints for all departing passengers.

The drone program would, officials hope, enable law enforcement to respond more rapidly to ongoing crime scenes, and potentially help track suspects. The project has been in talks since June 2023.

The South Pasadena Police Department is now comprised of 20 Tesla vehicles, a transition that is nearly complete. As electrifying fleets rises in popularity, the force is among the first in the nation to go all electric.

The Texas Education Agency's Office of School Safety and Security is rolling out a mass communication and threat reporting system called Sentinel, available to all schools in the state at no charge.