Public Safety Technology in the News

700 Connecticut Inmates’ Cases Eligible for Possible DNA Review

Hartford Courant, (12/27/2009), Dave Altimari

Connecticut will soon begin reviewing several hundred cases to determine if DNA evidence exists that could exonerate convicted prisoners, thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the National Institute of Justice. In the past two years, NIJ has awarded $17.6 million to 14 states for post-conviction DNA testing. Connecticut will use the grant over the next 18 months. A group composed of New Haven prosecutor James Clark; Karen Goodrow, executive director for the Connecticut Innocence Project; an Innocence Project attorney and an investigator; a state inspector; and a DNA analyst and criminologist from the State Police Forensic Laboratory sent applications to about 700 inmates who were convicted of murder, manslaughter or sexual assault before 2000, when DNA testing was in its infancy. Inmates will be interviewed by Goodrow’s team. If the team determines the case has potential, Clark would then determine if DNA evidence is available for testing by the state lab. Some cases will h! ave testable evidence; some will not. Inmates can elect not to participate. The team will first focus on inmates who were convicted by a jury during trial. The Connecticut Innocence Project has freed three men based on DNA evidence.

www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-dna-testing-1227.artdec27,0,5168355.story

Video Conferencing Keeps Inmates in Jail

The Brewton Standard, (12/28/2009), Adam Prestridge

Alabama prison authorities are experimenting with video conferencing to cut costs. The state Department of Corrections, the Alabama Administrative Office of the Courts and the Circuit Court of Escambia County are conducting a pilot video project at the Holman Correctional Facility at Atmore. Video conferencing connects the courthouse with the prison, eliminating the need to transport prisoners to and from court. The technology includes full motion video and audio via close circuit cameras. Officials hope to eventually set up 18 video conferencing systems across the state. Once fully implemented, conferencing could save the state hundreds of thousands of dollars.

www.brewtonstandard.com/articles/2009/12/28/news/doc4b38d5e634a2e892245650.txt

Red Light, Parking Tickets Are Growing Revenue Sources for New Orleans

The Times-Picayune, (12/28/2009), Cindy Chang

New Orleans officials expect red light and speed cameras to generate nearly $10 million for the city in 2009. Parking tickets will add an additional $10.5 to the city’s coffers. The city first began using red light cameras in April 2008, and now has 25 speed and red light cameras at various intersections and in school zones. In 2009, the amount collected from the cameras has ranged from $650,000 to $900,000 a month. The fine for running a red light is $105. Speeding tickets range from $40 to $200.

www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/12/red_light_parking_tickets_prov.html

Taser Ruling Sets Standards for Police, Claims

San Francisco Chronicle, (12/29/2009), Bob Egelko

A federal appeals court has ruled that police must have reason to believe a suspect is dangerous before firing a Taser and cannot use a stun gun simply because a person is disobeying orders or acting erratically. In the 3-0 decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Judge Kim Wardlaw said stun guns may offer a valuable nonlethal alternative to deadly force, however, adding that, “The objective facts must indicate that the suspect poses an immediate threat to the officer or a member of the public.” Wardlaw said stun guns inflict a “painful and frightening blow” and should be used only when substantial force is necessary and other options are unavailable. Groups such as Amnesty International have questioned the safety of Tasers and criticized their use. The appeals court ruling stemmed from a case involving police use of a stun gun in Coronado, Calif.

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/28/BA811BAG5G.DTL&tsp=1

San Jose Police Mount Cameras on Officers’ Heads

The Associated Press via The New York Times (12/29/2009)

Police officers in San Jose, Calif. are using head cameras as part of a free trial. Eighteen of San Jose’s 1,300 sworn officers have been trained to use the AXON head cameras, which proponents say could help catch officers who use excessive force and clear those officers who are falsely accused. Manufactured by Taser International, Inc., the device resembles a Bluetooth earpiece and is attached by a band that runs around the officer’s head. It can be connected to an on/off switch on the officer’s chest, then to a video screen on a holster. San Jose officers are required to switch on the cameras for even routine activities such as traffic stops. A three-year contract for the system for one officer costs $5,700. The cameras have been tested on one other police department so far, in Fort Smith, Ark.

www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/29/us/AP-US-Police-Head-Cams.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=taser&st=cse

Along U.S.-Mexico Border, a Torrent of Illicit Cash

The New York Times, (12/25/2009), James C. McKinley, Jr. and Marc Lacey

American customs officials seized $138 million in illicit cash last year, but officials say that’s a small percentage of what flows across the border to Mexico. The Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that $18 billion to $39 billion is being smuggled into Mexico each year. As the United States has tightened bank regulations and targeted money-laundering schemes, more money from illegal drug sales is being funneled into Mexico through old fashioned smuggling. Customs officials have assigned 25 more dog and handler teams to border crossings in the past two years. Dogs find money because much of it has traces of narcotics on it. Officials are also using handheld meters that measure the density of objects, and vans with X-ray equipment that scan cars headed to Mexico for hidden compartments. Once in Mexico, the money is relatively easy to launder. Drug cartels buy real estate, businesses and jewels with cash, and no reports of suspicious activity are made to the governm! ent. The sellers in turn make large but legal cash deposits to banks.

www.nytimes.com/2009/12/26/world/americas/26laredo.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=%22law%20enforcement%22&st=cse

New York on Track for Fewest Homicides on Record

The New York Times, (12/28/2009), Al Baker

In 2009 New York City experienced the lowest number of homicides in 46 years. The police department began tracking homicides in the current manner in 1963. Prior to then, homicides were not counted until they were solved. As of December 27, 2009, the number of homicides was 461; the previous record low was in 2007, when 496 homicides occurred. New York is not the only city to experience a drop in homicides. According to the FBI, homicides nationwide fell 10 percent during the first half of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008. New York City saw a 19 percent drop during that period.

www.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/nyregion/29murder.html?_r=1&scp=19&sq=police&st=cse

Court Overturns California Ban on Body Armor for Convicted Felons

Courthouse News Service, (12/29/2009), Avery Fellow

California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown says he will appeal a state appeals court ruling that struck down a state law barring convicted felons from wearing body armor. The Second District Court of Appeals said the law making it illegal for felons to possess body armor was too vague. The law defines body armor using technical bullet-resistance specifications and deems armor illegal if it has the same characteristics of vests sold to state peace officers. The appeals court said that only an expert would know if a particular protective vest was proscribed by the statute, and reversed a Los Angeles County Superior Court ruling.

www.courthousenews.com/2009/12/29/23214.htm

Running Robots Draw Inspiration From Cockroaches

Softpedia, (12/29/2009), Tudor Vieru

Researchers at Oregon State University are analyzing the common cockroach for clues on how to build a robot that can run easily over rough terrain, which would be useful to the military, law enforcement and space exploration. Assistant Professor John Schmitt says that cockroaches “can run fast, turn on a dime, move easily over rough terrain and react to perturbations faster than a nerve impulse can travel.” He further explains that a cockroach only slows down about 20 percent when going over blocks that are three times higher than its hips, indicating that their stability is related to how they are built.

news.softpedia.com/news/Running-Robots-Draw-Inspiration-from-Cockroaches-130752.shtml