Justice and Public Safety

The acquisition, the first by FieldWare, promises to improve communication in the court system and even keep people from spending too much time in jail before trial, executives said. More such deals could follow.

Lincoln Police will get new Tasers and more body cameras through a new company that could enhance the department's ability to record incidents and be more accountable, the police chief said.

Several Connecticut lawmakers are open to the idea of a policy that would place more regulations on police using automatic license plate readers as departments continue to use the devices without outside oversight.

Oroville Police Chief Bill LaGrone said the 25 sets of police car cameras that were approved by the City Council amount to litigation protection by providing a log of what officers encounter both inside and outside of their patrol vehicles.

Tesla Inc. failed to fix limitations in its autopilot system following a gruesome Florida crash that killed a driver in 2016, company engineers said in a lawsuit over a very similar 2019 fatal collision.

A report by the American Civil Liberties Union released last month about the use of drones by police agencies contains cautionary tales about what's to come, very quickly, if citizens don't speak out.

The Superior Fire Department got a chance to work with an all-electric Rosenbauer RTX fire engine as the city weighs the replacement of the existing diesel engine slated for 2026.

The Special Operations Unit will consist of three-person teams working across three eight-hour shifts that will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, according to department officials.

President Biden’s administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down key parts of Florida and Texas laws that would sharply restrict the editorial discretion of the largest social media platforms.

The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded the city of Gary $1 million to purchase additional license plate readers. The technology can be mounted on streetlights, poles and police cars.

The Pennsylvania State Police have launched a body camera pilot program in the Carlisle area that will help to inform a statewide deployment of the technology. The state has signed a five-year contract with Axon for the project.

The first days of class at DeKalb County School District in Georgia this week saw students lining up on sidewalks, in some cases late for class, as they had to pass through new weapons-detection scanners.

The police department will be installing Flock Safety Raven gunshot audio detectors in conjunction with additional Flock Safety license plate recognition cameras. The plan is raising privacy concerns.

The acquisition gives Tyler ownership of an artificial intelligence tool that can handle legal redactions and similar tasks — and which could eventually power other government functions. CSI has about 80 U.S. clients.

Eager for a chance to prove their value, many public safety agencies are starting with donations and grants to implement new drone programs. The gifts are proving useful to inspire additional funding for devices.

In setting policy on facial recognition, the New York State Education Department will take a cue from a new report from the State Office of Information Technology Services that found the risks may outweigh the benefits.

Georgia State Sen. Jason Anavitarte may introduce legislation early next year to regulate students’ use of social media platforms, modeled after laws in other states and requiring age verification for some services.

The wildfire detection cameras, a first in Washington, have built-in artificial intelligence that can detect a smoke plume 500 feet tall and thermal imagery. If detected, a California-based central command center will alert local fire crews.