Public Safety Technology in the News

Nassau Cops Credit Gunshot Detection System
Newsday.com, (08/25/2009), Matthew Chayes

Gunshot detection sensors recently installed in Nassau County have alerted police to the locations of four gun crimes. The sensors in place in Uniondale and Roosevelt are part of ShotSpotter, an $850 million microphone and computer system that alerts 911 dispatchers to what the computer identifies as gunfire. Currently, the system is sensitive to fireworks, construction noise and helicopters, as well as gunshots. Authorities will spend about six months calibrating the system to help filter out false alarms. Eventually, most of the 911 alerts will be from actual gunfire. The computer identifies gunfire locations within about 82 feet. Police say the gunshot alerts can speed up medical care for the injured and allow police to respond quicker.
www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/nassau-cops-credit-gunshot-detection-system-1.1393634

FBI Seeks Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory
News14.com, (08/25/2009), Becky Bereiter

The FBI’s field officers in North and South Carolina want to form a Regional Computer Forensics Lab (RCFL) to pool resources to handle caseloads. There are currently 14 RCFLs across the United States. The labs examine digital evidence and combine the expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, allowing for quicker case turnaround. During fiscal year 2008, RCFLs conducted more than 4,500 forensic examinations, trained 5,000 law enforcement officers in digital forensics techniques and appeared to testify in court 78 times.
news14.com/content/local_news/charlotte/613769/fbi-seeks-regional-computer-forensics-laboratory/

NIST Unveils Mobile Biometrics Guide
GovInfoSecurity.com (08/26/2009), Eric Chabrow

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a guide for use of mobile biometric technology. Special Publication 500-280: Mobile ID Device Best Practice REcommendation Version 1, offers guidelines on use to ensure that mobile and stationary systems will work together. NIST researchers developed the guide with assistance from first responders, industry, the military and academia. In releasing the publication, NIST noted that although portable systems have come a long way, “intrinsic limitations” must be considered to ensure interoperability with desktop or large server-based systems. New biometric devices allow users to collect biometric data from suspects with a handheld device anywhere and then wirelessly send it to be compared to samples in databases.
www.govinfosecurity.com/articles.php?art_id=1729

DMV Making Identity Thieves’ Faces Their Own Worst Enemies
Las Vegas Sun, (08/26/2009), Abigail Goldman

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles is making it tougher to fraudulently obtain a driver’s license, thanks to facial recognition software. In the past, DMV investigators had to rely on tips and suspicious documents to identify fraud. Now, the facial recognition computer program can scan 1.6 million photos in the DMV database for similarities. Each night, the software cross-checks DMV photos taken that day against the databank of ID and license pictures. If the program finds a similar face in the records, it’s flagged for review. Three months after the facial recognition software was launched in Southern Nevada in March, the number of ID fraud arrests was double over the same period in 2008. In the past seven months, DMV investigators have opened 900 fraud cases. On a typical day, DMV investigators catch eight to 10 people trying to get licenses with false names or stolen identities.
www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/aug/26/dmv-making-identity-thieves-faces-their-own-worst-/

Memphis Turns Down Tasers
Voicenews.com, (08/26/2009), Jeanne Kniaz

The Memphis City Council has derailed city police department plans to use Tasers to subdue confrontational suspects. Tasers temporarily debilitate people through the transmission of electrical impulses transmitted via wires, but in recent years their safety has been questioned. A study funded by the National Institute of Justice in 2007 found that of roughly 1,000 incidents involving Taser use, 99.7 percent involved no injuries or mild consequences. Hospital admission was required in 0.3 percent of the cases. A report issued by Amnesty International in 2008 cited concerns suggesting that a Taser can aggravate conditions compromised by drugs, exertion or illness.
www.voicenews.com/stories/082609/loc_20090826004.shtml

Network Improves Police Radio Service for Surprise, El Mirage
The Arizona Republic, (08/26/2009), Lisa Halverstadt

A new radio partnership in two Arizona communities has increased efficiency and reassurance for officer safety. Surprise and El Mirage joined the Regional Wireless Cooperative in July. The system was created to eventually allow police, firefighters and municipal staff who are part of the cooperative to communicate easily. The network, which was created by and is operated by Phoenix, includes 12 other cities. El Mirage and Surprise had previously relied on the Maricopa County communications systems to communicate with officers in the field. Cities do not have to pay to join the system but must have the equipment needed to communicate with other network participants. Grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security helped with purchasing the necessary equipment.
www.azcentral.com/community/surprise/articles/2009/08/26/20090826gl-nwvwireless0826.html

Homeland Security Grants Cody $112K Robot for Explosive Threats
The Cody Enterprise, (08/26/2009), Kristen Inbody

The town of Cody, Wyoming, has a new $112,350 Vanguard II bomb robot to help deal with potential explosive threats. The robot can keep explosives technicians out of danger as they investigative a potential threat. The robot, paid for with a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has tank-like treads that can climb stairs and a video camera that provides a view for the operator and can record evidence. It also can go down the aisle of a plane and reach into an overhead compartment.
www.codyenterprise.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/doc4a95a686140b7247038509.txt

APD Gets Free Gear to Outfit New Facility
Andalusia Star-News, (08/26/2009), Stephanie Nelson

The Andalusia (Alabama) Police Department has received up to $100,000 worth of surplus equipment through the 1033 program, which allows law enforcement agencies to apply for federal surplus equipment at little or no cost to the agency. The equipment will be used for an auto mechanic garage at the department’s training facility. The department was able to obtain all the tools needed to equip the garage from Eglin Air Force Base, through the 1033 program. The training facility will also include a firing range and classrooms.
www.andalusiastarnews.com/news/2009/aug/26/apd-gets-free-gear-outfit-new-facility/