Justice and Public Safety

Video surveillance for security reasons is fairly common on college campuses, but as law enforcement increasingly uses facial recognition to identify suspects, protestors worry they could be targeted for expressing opinions.

Baltimore City Public Schools approved a four-year, $5.46 million contract to put AI-powered security scanners from Evolv Technology at 28 schools. Staff generally supported the idea, while students were more ambivalent.

After the success of an AI-powered wildfire threat detection pilot, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources envisions how a real-time camera response center could safeguard millions of acres of forestlands.

The man, who was arrested last week, is suspected of allegedly defrauding two elderly victims of thousands of dollars in April via an online phishing scheme. He faces a federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

City law enforcement does not have facial recognition, but an ordinance permits the temporary use of unapproved technologies in pressing circumstances. Here, it identified a suspect who otherwise would likely have evaded arrest.

Various levels of Michigan police agencies launched a wide crackdown on distracted driving Monday, using unmarked spotter vehicles to catch drivers who are simultaneously using their phones.

Fire Chief, Atlantic City, N.J.

More than a dozen law enforcement agencies in Minnesota will soon be using unmarked pickup trucks to give officers a higher vantage point to look into cars and spot motorists who are not paying attention.

The Silicon Valley city’s mayor helped install an automatic license plate reader at a crash-prone intersection in the east. It was the 235th such camera, and plans are to grow the network to 500 by this summer.

A new tool from public safety tech supplier Axon can automatically transcribe audio from the company’s body cameras. Arriving as law enforcement nationwide confronts a hiring crisis, it could free up officers for other duties.

The Colorado Springs City Council on Tuesday authorized the Police Department to implement a new camera program that will catch and fine drivers exceeding posted speed limits in certain areas.

Two cities in the Hampton Roads area with new speed cameras have raked in around $20 million in revenue since implementing the technology over the last two years.

With driving while intoxicated arrests rising, Minnesota is turning to tech for solutions. The state is piloting cutting-edge roadside drug testing devices with unexpected participants: people arrested for DWI.

City law enforcement will use an $800,000 grant from the Bureau of Justice Administration to implement and evaluate three different technologies including ShotSpotter.

The Warner Robins Police Department is using software to aggregate information that could help it close criminal cases. It is a help to the department, which does not have a cyber crime division.

Poor traffic stop practices could be predicted, and bad practices called out in real time by artificial intelligence, according to a new report commissioned in the wake of a falsified ticket data scandal.

The San Francisco company has released a new tool aimed at helping make streets safer for bicyclists and buses. It relies on visual artificial intelligence and cameras mounted on buses.

In response to potentially over-powered electric bicycles, the board of the Tamalpais Union High School District in Marin County may require high school riders to register their steeds to park them on campus.