Justice and Public Safety

Today’s judges must manage hybrid hearings and digital case management systems, consider digital evidence, understand cyber risks and avoid social media ethical breaches. How do states keep them informed — and is it working?

After privacy concerns, three Republican senators introduced legislation to repeal a provision that would mandate the development of advanced drunken driving prevention tech required in all new passenger cars.

A Pennsylvania school district has recovered most of $13 million stolen by international thieves who hacked an email account, used a fake dating profile to lure an accomplice and laundered deposits via cryptocurrency.

Police will soon be equipped with body-worn cameras and other tech designed to bolster public safety and transparency after lawmakers approved a 10-year contract worth more than $4.8 million to purchase the equipment.

The California project is designed to help disparate public safety agencies share data and improve communications during emergency responses. The move comes amid a broader push to upgrade 911 call center capabilities.

The Editorial Board of the Charlotte Observer raises issues with body scanners installed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to detect guns, including false alarms and a lack of research about their effectiveness.

Civil rights organizations in Alaska are now demanding action on long-delayed body cameras for Anchorage police officers, a voter-approved priority that continues to lack an official start date.

The Durham City Council has delayed the approval of the final agreement with the gunshot detection company for the second time this month. California-based ShotSpotter is set to begin a year-long pilot with the city.

The Yakima County Sheriff's Office launched its body camera program this week, issuing 60 of the 70 cameras and associated gear ordered to deputies and detectives to increase transparency around public interactions.

Joseph Syas was shot and killed near a police camera perched below a street sign in Dallas that feeds to a police intelligence center where analysts monitor footage, but nothing was recorded the night Syas died.

So far, the U.S. tropical storm season has been undramatic, but that could soon change. Many emergency response agencies have upgraded their tech, but they still need better mobile and digital tools to weather storms.

The Torrington City Council has tabled a vote to approve the purchase of two drones for police use after citizen privacy concerns were raised. The vote has been postponed until the September meeting.

Hosting national conventions puts local governments in the crosshairs of cyber attackers. As the 2024 RNC approaches, Milwaukee County will be working to keep government systems and communication channels resilient.

After testing a second body camera vendor's equipment in July, the Vancouver Police Department is tentatively expected to present a finalized contract to the City Council for approval next month.

Through a partnership with local law enforcement and BusPatrol, Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland will outfit its buses with technology designed to discourage dangerous driving around bus stops.

The Los Angeles Police Commission has adopted new rules for how police can use crimefighting technologies, despite opposition from advocacy groups who said they could lead to increased surveillance of people.

Officials with the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority in Upstate New York say that a smartphone app that is now required to enter Canada may be discouraging some from cross-border travel.

The Maryland Judiciary’s E-rent Pilot Program in Baltimore County enables landlords to electronically file failure-to-pay-rent complaints. This pilot is the latest step in Maryland's court digitization efforts.