Massachusetts

Several recent initiatives from the Beeck Center are intended to assist the public sector in digital service delivery, including FormFest 2024 and the Digital Government Hub, an innovation-focused fellowship.

The city has decided that it will use about a third of its free cash to purchase new police cruisers in addition to building up its pension system.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell has joined with colleagues in more than a dozen states who are calling on federal regulators to make it easier for people to switch their cellphone provider.

Plus, Massachusetts is investing in digital skills training; a partnership in Scranton, Pa., aims to create a universal network; the Federal Communications Commission looks to drive tribal participation in E-rate; and more.

The Methuen Police Department launched a drone program in 2017 and it has since grown to encompass seven officers and three drones, primarily focusing on locating missing people, among other uses.

The Massachusetts-based program supports upskilling candidates to fill the state's workforce expertise needs, doing so via non-academic degree training programs that offer hands-on experience.

Some Boston city officials believe cameras could help dissuade other vehicles from making dangerous moving violations around school buses, but a state ban on automated traffic law enforcement stands in the way.

A multimillion-dollar data farm is growing in Lowell and the local planning board there recently heard neighbor concerns with noise and pollution emanating from the facility during a meeting.

Two U.S. senators and a member of the House of Representatives have reached out to large landlords regarding their use of the software. Questions include whether it is in use; one company has denied using it.

The eighth annual Government Experience Awards celebrates jurisdictions that have raised the bar in technology to heighten the way they deliver essential services to residents with a focus on ease and efficiency.

More Massachusetts police departments than ever are embracing body-worn cameras, recognizing not just benefits to the public, but to their officers as well. Yet the cameras can come at a steep cost.

IT officials in Massachusetts and Nevada discussed their plans to do more with data, filling leadership roles, building integrated data systems and enhancing security. Work is already underway.

With a new requirement from the Department of Justice looming, state and local governments must make their digital services accessible for people with disabilities, but not all are starting from the same place.

The Municipal Local Cybersecurity Grant Program is doling out nearly $7 million to cities and towns, regional school districts, and other local governments within the state.

Officials in Methuen, Mass., have started the process of installing 50 public police cameras in recent weeks as part of the citywide camera network that will cover all 23 square miles of the city.

Plus, initial proposals for BEAD program funding have been approved in two more states, findings from a new report emphasize the role libraries play in bridging the digital divide, and more.

A proposal set for a vote Wednesday in the House of Representatives would ban “data brokering” firms from selling, leasing, trading or renting location data. Consumer consent would be required before collection or processing.

Plus, Massachusetts has added three members to its digital accessibility board, a federal resource on digital literacy aims to support community needs, and more.