Justice and Public Safety

Drone as First Responder programs have been adopted across the country, and in them, police place drones across their coverage areas and send them to determine if a ground response is needed.

A team at the Office of the Attorney General built a search solution to help child support field case workers with a major pain point — time-consuming research. The result demonstrates the “art of the possible.”

Data breaches hit more than 1 billion victims in 2024, a huge increase driven by massive data compromises at Ticketmaster Entertainment LLC and Advance Auto Parts Inc. according to a new report.

In Wisconsin, the Chippewa County Sheriff's Office has launched a new app in an effort to connect the community with public safety, jail and sex offender information.

Law enforcement agencies across the country are buzzing about drones, but what’s the real impact? Government Technology got an exclusive video look at how one rural sheriff’s department is using UAVs to change the game.

Two tech firms are adding updated radar to unmanned aircraft, hoping to give police and firefighters better eyes in the sky and options for longer automated flights. The deal could help agencies with staffing woes.

Computerized in-vehicle systems for police are still not up, and residents are unable to pay utility bills online. The cybersecurity breach, detected Aug. 4, shuttered City Hall for nearly a week.

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu is suing 16 websites that his office says use AI to create nonconsensual, fake nude images of women and girls, the first lawsuit of its kind, according to the city.

Several K-12 school districts across Alabama are installing metal detectors, X-ray machines and other weapons-detection systems, as well as employing more school resource officers on campus.

City officials may seek at least $200,000 for the San Antonio Police Department in the next budget, to add roughly 10 security cameras with artificial intelligence as part of a one-year initiative.

The police netted a federal grant through the Department of Justice to buy two Apex Virtual Reality training systems, a $69,000 piece of tech officials say promotes training efficiency and cuts overall costs.

The city’s Common Council has approved its police department’s plan to use a nearly $1.15 million state block grant to upgrade technology. The money should pay for 40 to 50 surveillance cameras and 10 license plate readers.

New high-resolution images of a wildfire west of Loveland, Colo., that were captured by a stratospheric microballoon could help first responders validate real-time fire data. The project documented the state’s largest wildfire of 2024.

Gov. Mike Parson’s administration will spend $243,750 to purchase 21 additional license plate readers, to supplement law enforcement during a personnel shortage. A contract with Atlanta-based Flock Safety took effect Aug. 1.

The new state digital ID, available through Apple’s App Store and Google Play, was released in June. Mobile ID can be used by anyone with a state-issued driver’s license, permit or non-driver ID.

One state lawmaker in Michigan is calling for heightened penalties for ransomware attacks that affect hospital systems after an attack last week impacted the McLaren hospital system.

A National Integrated Ballistic Information Network van, one of just two such mobile units in the country, gives police better access to information on firearms used in crimes. In service less than three months, it has already generated leads.

The City Council approved spending an estimated $247,000 on 25 cameras and a supporting system. A use policy and locations must be determined before the project gets final approval.