Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

Officer Nearly Dies After Accidental Overdose
Officer.com, (05/15/2017)
It took four doses of Narcan to revive an East Liverpool, Ohio, police officer Friday night in the aftermath of a traffic stop. Officer Chris Green inadvertently got a small amount of fentanyl on his hand after a patdown and began to suffer its effects after returning to the station; a fellow officer administered one dose at the station and staff at a nearby hospital gave him three additional doses following admission. Guidance for all first responders on best practices in the presence of a suspected overdose can be located at http://www.in.gov/activecalendar/EventList.aspx?view=EventDetails&eventidn=263047&information_id=266291&type=&syndicate=syndicate.  The DEA has also issued a video warning first responders of the dangers of Fentanyl that can be found at https://www.dea.gov/video_clips/Fentanyl%20Roll%20Call%20Video.mp4.

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CCPD Officers Share Selfies to ‘Humanize the Badge'
Clayton News-Daily.com, (05/10/2017), Chelsea Prince
Using the hashtag "LEselfiechallenge," a number of law enforcement agencies in the metro Atlanta area are sharing selfies of officers interacting with family members in an attempt to show local communities that officers are human, too. The challenge originated in the Norcross Police Department with its social media coordinator, and Chief Billy Grogan of the Dunwoody Police Department has spread the challenge through the Metro Atlanta Law Enforcement Social Media Group.
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Facebooking a Felony: How Social Media Is Helping Police Catch Crooks
Fox 4, (05/12/2017), Lisa Greenberg
Social media has become a tool that law enforcement agencies across the country are using to investigate and solve crimes. Cape Coral, Fla., area departments say that it has upped officers' workload, but also resulted in more arrests and more case resolutions.
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While Dispatchers Get Familiar With New Systems, KC Police Officers Told to Refrain From Some Regular Tasks
Fox 4, (05/11/2017), Megan Dillard
Until issues have been resolved with the city's new computer-aided dispatch system, patrol officers in Kansas City, Kan., have been told not to initiate calls to dispatch by stopping speeding drivers, pulling people over, or making any other routine traffic stops or self-initiated activities. The stoppage is intended to give dispatchers time to become more familiar with the new system. Officers are to continue to initiate action in the event of an emergency, however.
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Missing Fairfax Co. Woman Identified, Confirmed Dead 27 Years Later
WTOP, (05/13/2017), John Domen
Police in Orange County, Calif., have used the National Institute of Justice's NamUS (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System) to solve a 27-year-old cold case and bring closure to the family of a Fairfax County, Va., woman. The department entered DNA, fingerprints and other physical material into the system, and positively identified the woman based on fingerprints taken when she had worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Metro Looks for New Options for Less Lethal Force, Shows Off New Sponge Rounds
8Las Vegas Now, (05/11/2017), John Langeler
Metro Las Vegas Police will begin using a new sponge round this summer to increase their less lethal options. The new rounds are bigger and somewhat softer than the beanbags currently used by the force, but actually produce more pain. The rounds are shot out of a weapon that looks like a 1930s tommy gun.
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A First Shot at That Split Second
Toledo Blade, (05/11/2017)
The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy recently opened two buildings in its new "training village." The facility includes an area where officers can practice making split-second decisions in a video simulation, which includes the option to conduct a live role-play scenario ranging through several rooms. This editorial discusses why such scenario-based training is important.
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Clergy Seek to Bridge Divide Between Cops and Communities
Fox News, (05/12/2017), Jonathan Serie
One Congregation One Precinct (One COP), a new nationwide program, uses houses of worship leaders as go-betweens for law enforcement and local communities. The Atlanta-based initiative plans to use activities and community meetings to resolve conflicts. In Atlanta, several houses of worship leaders recently took "shoot, don't shoot" training to help them understand law enforcement officers' perspectives.
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Oklahoma Law Enforcement Officers Receive Training on Handling Dog Encounters and Veterinary Crime Scene Analysis
Humane Society.org, (05/15/2017)
From May 15-19, 2017, more than 550 Oklahoma law enforcement officers are receiving free training and resources on handling encounters with dogs from the Humane Society of the United States and local organizations. Officers receive training on non-lethal force options, dog behavior, mannerisms and body language; veterinary forensic crime scene analysis; and differentiating between animal and human evidence. Individuals receive eight Counsel on Law Enforcement Education Training credits and free equipment that will help them implement their new skills.
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Bulletproof Vest Saves Chicago Cop's Life in West Side Shooting
Chicago Patch.com, (05/12/2017), Joe Vince
A Chicago police officer suffered only a minor injury Friday thanks to his ballistic-resistant vest, police and hospital officials say. The plainclothes officer was conducting a narcotics mission and got out of his car to question a man and a woman he thought were acting suspiciously. The man fled, and the woman opened fire. She was wounded multiple times and hospitalized in critical condition when the officers returned fire.
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Corrections News

California Shifts From Scanners to Dogs to Catch Smugglers
U.S. News and World Report, (05/12/2017), Associated Press
As a three-year, $15.3 million program that used a variety of techniques to try to stop contraband from entering California correctional facilities comes to an end, the state has decided not to continue many of the technical aspects of the program. Rather, funds will go toward using ensuring that each prison has a minimum of two dogs that will sniff out contraband, including cellphones and drugs. Facilities will also continue to use a less intensive technological approach.
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8,000 Colorado Inmates Given Computer Tablets With Games, Books, Music
Breitbart News, (05/10/2017), Charlie Nash
In Colorado, some 8,000 prison inmates may now place phone calls from their cells between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.as part of a pilot program. Inmates can also use the devices to play games, read books and listen to music. If successful, GTL Corp. hopes to expand the Inspire program nationwide.
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NJ High Court Makes New Ruling on Parole Conditions for Sex Offenders
CBS Philly, (05/09/2017), Mike DeNardo
The New Jersey Supreme Court recently issued a ruling that the state may require sex offenders to take lie detector tests related to compliance with the terms of their release. However, the state parole board must ensure that offenders are aware of their rights against self-incrimination prior to testing.
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A Fresh Take on Ending the Jail-to-Street-to-Jail Cycle
The Marshall Project, (05/10/2017), Christie Thompson
A program launched in April 2017 in New York City provides apartments for repeat offenders who have cycled in and out of jail for years, usually on low-level drug charges. The program identifies frequent offenders and offers them permanent housing and support services on release, an initiative that will save the city some $16,000 per person compared to the costs of returning them to jail. Services include addiction treatment and counseling. Similar programs have been started in other cities across the country.
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Colorado's Pricey Polygraph Testing of Sex Offenders Under Fire as Critics Target Accuracy, Expense
The Denver Post, (05/14/2017), Christopher N. Osher
A bipartisan group of legislators and a retired judge are questioning a Colorado program that uses lie detector tests administered to convicted sex offenders to help state officials decide whether the inmates are suited for release. The program has cost the state more than $5 million over a seven-year period, and the group contends too much weight is given to the tests, which some consider unreliable.
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New Technology Being Used to ID Offenders
WSAW News 7, (05/12/2017), CNN
The Milwaukee County Jail recently began using iris scans to identify individuals booked into the facility. The Inmate Recognition and Identification System compares the scans to those of more than 1 million individuals whose scans are recorded in databases across the country.
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Guernsey Prison Testing Pioneering Anti-drone Tech
ITV, (05/12/2017)
Skyfence, a new technology that detects and deflects incoming drones, will be used in a pilot project in Les Nicolles Prison in Guernsey. The use of drones to bring contraband into correctional facilities is an increasing problem in the United Kingdom.
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Milwaukee Police, County to Share Real-time GPS Data on Juvenile Offenders
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, (05/11/2017), Ashley Luthern
A new agreement with Milwaukee County gives officers with the Milwaukee Police Department real-time access to data from juveniles wearing offender tracking devices. The agency's Fusion Center and dispatch center will be given access if a juvenile offender goes outside a designated area or if the police have probable cause for an arrest related to a criminal incident.
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