Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

Law Enforcement Agencies Turning to Drones to Fight Crime
Policeone.com, (05/29/2018), John Seewer for The Associated Press
The number of public safety agencies with drones has more than doubled since the end of 2016, according to data collected by the Center for the Study of the Drone at New York's Bard College. The center estimated that slightly more than 900 police, sheriff, fire and emergency agencies now have drones, with Texas, California and Wisconsin leading the way.
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New Program Allows Teachers to Alert Police in Seconds
Western Mass News, (05/23/2018), Mary Cate Mannion and Erin Fitzsimonds
A new program is being implemented in some western Massachusetts schools that will allow teachers to alert police in seconds in an emergency. The In Force app can be launched from a cell phone or a computer, and within 12 seconds, an alert is sent to local police with the location. Officers will join the alert, and a chat bubble will open where the sender can add a description of an assailant or information about an emergency.
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Officials Demonstrate Getting into ‘Warm Zones' During Mass Attacks to Treat Victims
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, (05/23/2018), Annie Rosenthal
Pittsburgh police officers, firefighters and EMTs recently participated in training to prepare them to treat victims of mass shootings or other attacks before the scene has been cleared. Previously, protocol has required emergency medical teams to wait until a building is entirely cleared before sending in medics. The new method is to provide police protection that will allow teams of medical personnel to enter areas of a building that police have deemed free of immediate threats without having to wait until the entire building is clear.
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Need a Safe Place to Exchange Goods? Sunnyvale Police Has Just the Place for You
The Mercury News, (05/23/2018), Khalida Sarwari
People in Sunnyvale, Calif., can now exchange goods purchased from online sites in an area in front of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety. The exchange zone is two well-lit, marked parking spaces that are monitored by surveillance cameras 24 hours a day. The cameras keep a log of transactions that officers can go back and review in the event of a dispute or safety violation.
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Small County in Texas Gets its First Cyberdetective, Thanks to a Federal Training Program
Palestine Herald-Press, (05/25/2018), William Patrick
The police department in Palestine, Texas, has its first cyberdetective, who took a five-week course on computer evidence recovery at the U.S. Secret Service National Computer Forensics Institute in Hoover, Ala. With more than 21,000 reported cases last year, Texans lost nearly $80 million to Internet crime alone. In Palestine, detectives face hundreds of computer and Internet-based crimes every year, such as scams attempting to acquire personal information and money.
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Troy Police Awarded $6k Grant to Improve Bicycle, Pedestrian Safety
Troy Record, (05/27/2018), Nicholas Buonanno
The police department in Troy, N.Y., will use $6,000 in grant funds to advance bicycle and pedestrian safety. The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee has distributed more than $468,000 in federal grant funds for 20 bike and pedestrian projects across the state. Programs cover bicycle safety education and helmet distribution, pedestrian safety outreach and law-based education.
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Corrections News

South Carolina Plans to Use Drones to Remotely Watch Inmates
Herald Business Journal, (05/24/2018), Meg Kinnard for The Associated Press
South Carolina corrections officials plan to use drones to remotely monitor inmates at the state's 21 prisons. The technology can be used to monitor a prison and the area outside, where contraband like cellphones and drugs can be launched over walls.
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Ohio Prison Inmates Pirated Movies and Built Computers From Spare Parts, Inspector General Finds
Cleveland.com, (05/23/2018), Jackie Borchardt
Inmates at Ohio's Marion Correctional Institution assembled several dozen computers from parts, pirated software and illegally copied movies to broadcast on the prison movie network, an investigation from the state inspector general has found. The findings, released in a report, stemmed from a previous 2017 investigation that found inmates hacked into the prison network, stole fellow prisoners' personal information and applied for credit cards in their names.
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Parole Official: State Needs More Housing for Ex-Inmates
The Associated Press via The Seattle Times, (05/17/2018)
New Mexico should invest in more residential treatment centers and transitional housing for people recently released from prison, according to Sandy Dietz, chairwoman of the New Mexico Parole Board. During remarks at a public safety task force meeting, Dietz indicated the inadequate number of supportive housing and treatment options for ex-inmates has resulted in some violating their parole and ending up back in prison.
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Louisiana to Restore Voting Rights to People on Probation and Parole for Felonies
Gambit, (05/17/2018), Alex Woodward
Legislation passed by the Louisiana state legislature would restore voting rights to potentially thousands of formerly incarcerated people convicted of felony crimes. The legislation, which went to the governor to consider for signature, would restore the right to vote to most felons after a five-year period after leaving prison, giving roughly 3,000 of the state's 70,000 formerly incarcerated people a chance to vote.
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Dept. of Probation Launches Rap Sheet Review Project
News12, (05/16/2018)
The New York City Department of Probation is offering a workshop to help residents review their criminal records. The Rap Sheet Review Project helps people learn their rights, find out what is on their criminal records and show them what to do if there are errors.
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