Local Government

The license plate reading cameras, usually mounted on 12-foot poles, have quickly become standard in police departments across the country, including the Dallas Police Department.

City Council members have passed legislation creating an oversight office to audit, monitor and regulate city agency AI tools. A separate but related initiative aims to educate the public on AI.

The company, seeking to bring more artificial intelligence to local government, has partnered with El Paso organizations to train applicants with AI skills. One of the company’s leaders explains his thinking.

Stolen data from the data breach was published online as emergency management and law enforcement officials in jurisdictions across the country took their subscriptions offline.

CodeRed, the borough’s emergency alert platform, was targeted, officials said. Some stored user contact information could be leaked, including names, addresses, emails and system passwords.

The new projects include work on pedestrian spaces and community development. At the same time, the city plans to deploy an upgraded, "first-of-its-kind" emergency command center at the famous Thanksgiving Day parade.

The Southern California city recently wrapped a series of workshops designed to teach residents digital skills. The initiative educated participants on how to use AI and how the city is using it.

Lawson, who has cybersecurity experience in municipal, state and federal roles, has previously served as CISO and chief technology officer for Alaska, and as assistant CIO and CISO for the city of Phoenix.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the city is an apt choice to house the new Texas Cyber Command to protect state agencies and infrastructure from cyber attacks. It will, he said, be central to safeguarding cyber interests.

The Northern California city will restrict the extent to which camera footage from police officers’ body-worn cameras can be edited, following an outcry and demands for reform after two officer-involved shootings.

The city police chief is cautioning residents to be aware that someone is sending fake emails on behalf of the planning director, seeking payments via wire transfer. It is, he said, “a scam.”

The state's capital city is looking for a new chief information officer to lead an information technology department of about two dozen now that its previous CIO, Randi Stahl, is no longer with the city.

As municipalities move to enact ordinances related to data center construction, a few communities are turning to ballot measures. At the state level, however, some lawmakers are rushing to pass legislation.

By-mail options for voters in the state’s most populous city include casting ballots electronically, which has been offered since 2018. A more recent “secure document portal” further empowers residents.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the PILLAR Act, which reauthorizes CISA’s cybersecurity grant program through 2033 but does not specify an amount for the potential funding.

The City Commission rejected a two-year pact with a company that would have stood up 13 cameras around the city. Dozens of residents expressed concerns at recent and past commission meetings.

The city, home to the Texas Cyber Command at the University of Texas, will host the first-ever Texas Space Summit in September 2026. The general topic? The booming commercial space business.

The eastern Washington city will likely enter the ranks of municipalities barring the use of so-called algorithmic software that recommends rent increases based on shared, private data.