Justice and Public Safety

With 140 mph winds and stronger gusts, the landfall of Hurricane Helene this week marked the most powerful hurricane to hit the region among storms tracked since the 1850s.

The City Council is signaling once more its commitment to keeping acoustic gunshot detection technology in Chicago, even if that effort continues to pit aldermen against Mayor Brandon Johnson.

The grant will supply the jurisdiction with the funding needed to establish a cold case unit and dedicate more time to investigating violent cold cases that already have suspect DNA profiles.

The commission has issued a $6 million fine against longtime Democratic political operative Steve Kramer of New York for the illegal phone calls that used a deepfake Joe Biden voice.

As emergency dispatch centers transition to the mobile age, massive venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz is betting that Prepared can help lead the public safety pack. The company’s CEO talks more about his new funding round.

Fairmont Senior High School in Marion County will use a system from Rank One Computing that detects whenever a weapon, whether it's a pistol or a long gun, is drawn within view of a camera.

Alphabet Inc. Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said it will take many years to resolve Google’s antitrust battles, downplaying the idea that they pose an immediate threat to the company’s business.

The counterfeit website was actually hosted on a server in Russia and had been designed to look just like the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development's legitimate toll tag website.

The proposed ASIS International School Security Standard includes detailed recommendations for the use of technology such as panic buttons, surveillance cameras, AI and biometrics to improve school safety.

The Vigo County prosecutor’s office swore in seven Indiana State University students as digital forensic investigators who will help law enforcement recover and review evidence from digital devices.

A youth advocacy group for safer online practices is pushing for tougher restrictions on social media after a House committee last week approved a watered-down version of a kids’ online safety measure.

Instagram offers a new kind of account with privacy defaults and more restrictions for users under 18. Some parents and student groups are encouraged, but also skeptical the changes will be sufficient.

A fatal traffic collision in Mobile has revived a long-running conversation about red-light cameras, but city and state officials have often disagreed about their accuracy and effectiveness.

In response to a pair of gun scares in the first weeks of school, a school board in Philadelphia is considering purchasing a scanning system that uses artificial intelligence to identify possible weapons.

A ransomware attack that crippled the city of Wichita's network for more than a month starting in May was limited to a Wichita Police Department records system, city officials said Wednesday.

The Windy City’s contract for the gun detection service will expire shortly, but two aldermen have launched attempts to extend it. A parliamentary move or a special vote could potentially compel an extension.

The company said in a blog post that it is teaming up with a satellite maker and a group of nonprofits to launch satellites next year that can pinpoint small blazes all over the world before they spread.

Over the past decade, fears around school shootings have driven a push for surveillance cameras, panic buttons, emergency alert systems and other technology, in some cases forcing hard choices for tight budgets.