Justice and Public Safety

The funding round was led by NightDragon, whose founder is a seasoned cybersecurity executive. The fresh capital comes amid strong activity in the gov tech sector — and some signs of potential slowdowns.

School districts across North Texas are asking voters in November to approve bond packages to pay for surveillance cameras, weapon detection systems, modern door locks, shatter-resistant window film and other measures.

Midland Police Department is conducting an investigation along with other law enforcement agencies after a ransomware attack took place recently against the Midland Information Technology Consortium.

Kids are getting a better chance to bond with parents who are serving time behind bars thanks to virtual reality, a technology that continues to have an increased number of rapidly expanding uses.

Gresham officials are banking on mobile surveillance cameras as a key part of a comprehensive plan to fight gun violence. The city has embraced public cameras in a way that Portland and other big cities haven’t.

The new technology, which was developed in-house, consists of motion sensors and flashing lights and is meant to stop wrong-way drivers. This year alone, there have been two dozen deaths related to wrong-way driving.

At least 22 states are investing in updating and digitizing the maps and blueprints of public schools in an effort to speed up the response to critical emergencies.

The department began a phased rollout of the body and dash cameras for patrol vehicles in May, with the force completely outfitted well prior to a deadline imposed by the Connecticut Police Accountability Law.

The training consists of 10 virtual active shooting scenarios in environments like airports, schools and courthouses, meant to better prepare emergency crews for a variety of situations through a video game engine.

Two years after Lockport City School District's use of facial recognition-capable cameras triggered controversy, a recent hearing gave critics and proponents a chance to speak up while the state prepares a report.

Police officials have decided not to pursue approval to use lethal armaments on its robot. The department currently has a robot fitted with a percussion actuated nonelectric disrupter, which can fire lethal shotgun ammunition.

New laws in Florida and Texas set the stage for states to have more control over what’s posted on social media, but that could soon be tested at the U.S. Supreme Court and mean potential changes to the First Amendment.

The state is partnering with Rave Mobile Safety to customize an anonymous tip app for students, staff and parents to report safety concerns, replacing an old tip line that wasn’t being used.

The Western New England School of Law has deployed 11 kiosks to reduce the barriers to accessing the legal system. The kiosks will provide information about issues like domestic violence, eviction and homelessness.

The new effort seeks to put information about people with mental health concerns or special needs in the hands of local police before they interact with them, and follows similar work from other tech firms.

The Oakland police department can continue relying on cameras that record vehicles’ license plate information to investigate crimes, but not without some additional oversight and restrictions.

San Diego County Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal last week issued an injunction halting any further release of gun owners' names to researchers studying of the relationships between gun ownership, homicides and suicides.

The cameras will be worn by criminal investigators, K-9 parole agents and sergeants assigned to the department’s Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence who work to prevent contraband from entering state facilities.