Justice and Public Safety

The Next-Gen Emergency Vehicle Preemption technology provides first responders the ability to alter traffic lights on a complete route to an event, not just one light at a time.

As the use of automatic license plate readers grows, Government Technology reviewed public safety agencies’ audits and policies to determine progress.

At an event held by the Institute for Security and Technology, experts discussed why simply arresting ransomware developers isn’t enough to effectively combat this cybersecurity problem.

The Canada-based gov tech supplier has acquired a company that sells CAD, RMS and other tools for first responders and public safety agencies. Versaterm’s CEO explains the thinking behind his company’s latest deal.

The city hopes to link body-worn camera activation to officer guns and tasers, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel told the City Council Tuesday. Grant-funded stationary and mobile license plate readers are in the works, he added.

Fairfax High School in Los Angeles is the latest school to deal with inappropriate images that may have been created by AI, following similar incidents at Beverly Hills and Laguna Beach schools earlier this year.

A divided state House on Tuesday passed a bill that would have Pennsylvania do something all its nearby neighbors have done — ban the use of handheld cell phones by drivers.

While many states have rolled out digital ID programs, the number of law enforcement agencies who accept them remains limited. One agency shared with Government Technology the challenges and successes they’ve experienced conducting traffic stops with users of digital wallets.

Drivers exceeding speed limits in Colorado Springs could be caught on camera if the city implements a new system that uses radar technology to track and identify speeders.

As more cold cases are solved using forensic genealogy, Connecticut’s forensic lab is offering funds to local police departments looking to crack unsolved crimes by testing DNA evidence for familial links.

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana thwarted an intrusion into its network on Friday, but hackers did obtain a small quantity of data. The bad actors are not believed to have gained access to the agency’s network.

The New Mexico county has relied on a VHF radio system that is “incredibly close” to end-of-life. Officials are anxious to implement an $8.1 million switch to a state encrypted system but will need roughly $5 million in additional funds to do so.

Another California school is investigating the creation and dissemination of inappropriate AI-generated images of students, following the expulsion of a handful of Beverly Hills eighth-graders earlier this year.

The NOTICE Coalition, on behalf 42 advocacy organizations representing various student groups, argued in a letter to the U.S. Department of Education that AI-powered security systems violate privacy and human rights.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the California Highway Patrol will stand up 480 surveillance cameras on Oakland streets and East Bay freeways to help identify vehicles associated with crimes. Privacy advocates have criticized the plan.

Iterate.ai, based in Denver, is offering its threat detection software to K-12 districts free of charge. The company’s initiative was followed by state legislation calling for school grants to pay for security systems.

The technology, which uses acoustic sensors on light poles to alert police about suspected gunfire, received a final extension in February from the mayor that would end this fall. But aldermen want to give the City Council the final say.

The Orange County city is “a little bit behind the curve” in crime-fighting tech, its police chief told the City Council recently. It intends to make a dent in crime by adding license plate readers and video cameras to its streetscape.