Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Addition of Cameras, LED Lighting Designed to Reduce Greenville Crime
WNCT9, (11/14/2017), Brandon Truitt
The installation of 1,500 LED lights and public safety cameras has helped reduce crime in areas of Greenville, N.C., police say. In one area, use of the lights has contributed to a 19 percent drop in crime. The next phase of the project is to continue to change more of the 7,300 lights in the city to LED and add more public safety cameras. The police department currently uses more than 200 cameras to assist in different cases.
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Norwich Moves to Next Generation of 911 Calls
The Bulletin, (11/12/2017), Ryan Blessing
The police department in Norwich, Conn., has completed a switch to a new statewide 911 call system, the last of the state's municipal departments to complete the change. According to the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, the new internet-based system will provide the infrastructure to allow texting to 911, sending images or video with a 911 call, and calling 911 directly through the internet once telecommunications companies make the features available to the public.
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Porter County Votes to Spend $1.2M for Emergency Radio Equipment
Post-Tribune, (11/14/2017), Amy Lavalley
Officials in Porter County, Ind., are moving ahead with plans to switch to 800 MHz radios for emergency communications. The Board of Commissioners approved spending $1.2 million for the project. The county is offering financial help to the county's smaller departments to purchase the radios.
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VPD Adds Body-Worn Cameras to Uniform
The Foothills Sun-Gazette, (11/15/2017), Reggie Ellis
The police department in Visalia, Calif., will use a $153,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to cover half the cost of outfitting more than 100 officers with body-worn cameras. The department is researching vendors to determine who can provide the most efficient package.
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Stockton Police Get Set to Have Eyes in the Sky
The Record, (11/15/2017), Nicholas Filipas
The police department in Stockton, Calif., plans to begin using unmanned aircraft in the new year. Police plan to use the technology to provide an aerial view in situations such as shootings, searching for subjects in neighborhoods, missing person cases and large fires. One device is equipped with heat sensors and multiple high-functioning cameras, and can withstand strong winds and heavy rain.
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DHS Hosts Explosives Detection Dog Training
WJLA, (11/15/2017), Mike Carter-Conneen
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently held canine explosives detection training for police agencies in the Washington, D.C., area. The DHS Regional Explosives Detection Dog Initiative puts dogs and their handlers in real-world scenarios, such as a motorcade, searching for explosive materials. The training also includes odor recognition trials.
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Overdose Deaths Decline as Outreach and Law Enforcement Ramp Up
The News-Messenger, (11/16/2017), Craig Shoup
Law enforcement officials in Sandusky County, Ohio, credit educational outreach programs, life-saving personnel and better law enforcement for a drop in overdose deaths. According to Sandusky County Sheriff Chris Hilton, there have been eight overdose deaths in the county through Nov. 15, compared to 12 at the same time last year. The total number of overdose deaths in Sandusky County last year was 23.
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3 Shot in Charleston Burglary Call, Including Officer; One Dead
WDTV 5, (11/17/2017)
A patrol officer in Charleston W.Va., was saved by his ballistic-resistant vest when a burglary suspect shot him in the torso. The officer returned fire, killing the suspect. The shooter entered the home with three other men, where they held the residents at gunpoint demanding drugs and money.
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Corrections News

Drone Carrying Drugs, Cell Phones Crashes at Buckeye Prison
12 News, KPNX, (11/16/2017)
An attempted delivery of illegal contraband at ASPC-Lewis in Buckeye in the fall was unsuccessful after the drone that was carrying the items crashed, according to the Arizona Department of Corrections. The drone crashed back in September in a security zone that is unreachable by inmates. ADP said the drone was carrying multiple cell phones and drugs. Officials have not determined who attempted to deliver the contraband.
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State Unveils Plans to Improve Correctional Officer Staffing Levels
Oanow.com, (11/16/2017)
The Alabama Department of Corrections has a plan to increase officer staffing levels through recruiting, increasing officer pay and consolidating operations in some correctional facilities. The plan includes moving staff and inmates at the Draper Correctional Facility to other facilities. Draper will be repurposed for vocational and educational training programs for inmates housed in nearby facilities.
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Prisons Work to Keep Out Drug-Smuggling Drones
IPR, (11/16/2017), Tracy Samilton
This article discusses the problem of people using drones to attempt to smuggle contraband into prisons, and efforts to develop technologies to detect and disable or intercept drones. The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services recently received emergency funding to evaluate drone detection systems.
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Device Said to Stem Opioid Withdrawal Pain
Tribune-Star, (11/19/2017), Scott L. Miley for CNHI
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved the marketing of the NSS-2 Bridge to help reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms. The NSS-2 Bridge is a small electrical nerve stimulator placed behind a patient's ear. It contains a battery-powered chip that emits electrical pulses to stimulate branches of certain cranial nerves. It was developed by Indiana-based Innovative Health Solutions. A judge in Greenwood City, Ind., this year began offering a plan through the local probation department in which opiate addicts can choose to wear a NSS-2 Bridge rather than face jail time.
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New Program Offers Peer Support to Women Transitioning Out of Prison
WHYY, (11/17/2017), Anne Hoffman
Mental Health Partnerships in Philadelphia recently received a $3 million grant for a program to offer peer support to women leaving prison. The three-year program will work with women at Philadelphia's Riverside Correctional Facility, and specifically target women who struggle with a self-reported mental health condition, drugs and alcohol, and/or are facing housing insecurity.
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Preventing Cell Phone Usage in Prisons Comes With a High Cost
ABC News4, (11/16/2017), Angela Brown
This article discusses the use of managed access as a means to block the use of contraband cell phones in prisons. Managed access prevents unauthorized calls by blocking calls to and from devices or numbers that are not approved.
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