Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement 'Safe Zone' Patrols Start in Downtown Minneapolis
5ABC Eyewitness News, (06/06/2018)
Minneapolis Police, Metro Transit Police and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office are stepping up patrols in downtown Minneapolis this summer as part of the Safe Zone program. More squad cars and uniformed officers will be present during the day. The patrols are expected to end after Labor Day.
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'We're in a Different World': Law Enforcement Agencies Train in Active Shooter Scenarios
The Spectrum, (06/06/2018), Emily Havens
About 60 officers from law enforcement agencies in Southern Utah attended a recent active shooter training session hosted by the St. George Police Department. The training includes several mock scenarios.
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Leland Police Department Releases Digital Crime Map Tool
WWAY News, (06/04/2018)
The Leland Police Department in North Carolina is offering near real-time crime information through its Community Crime Map digital tool. Leland residents can view the map and grid of reported crimes, sign up for emailed neighborhood watch reports and submit an anonymous tip about a crime to police.
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Norwalk Police Welcome Bomb-Sniffing Dogs
News12 Connecticut, (06/07/2018)
The police department in Norwalk, Conn., has added two K-9s trained in explosives detection. After more than 400 hours of training in a public settings, police say the two black Labradors can detect the scents of more than 30 different explosives.
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Law to Create New Tracking System for Rape Kits Changes Labs, Victim Support
TheStatehouseFile.com, (06/07/2018), Erica Irish
Law enforcement, hospitals and victim advocacy organizations will work this summer to create a stronger, more transparent system to track Indiana's rape kits. State lawmakers approved a measure during the 2018 legislative session calling for a study committee to recommend a better method of tracking the kits. In December, a statewide audit of police labs found that 2,500 viable rape kits were never tested.
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Jefferson School Board Approves $1M to Place Police Officers at All High Schools
The Times-Picayune, (06/07/2018), Littice Bacon-Blood
Starting in the fall, all public high schools in Jefferson Parish, La., will have at least one police officer or sheriff's deputy. The Jefferson Parish School Board approved just over $1 million to pay for officers from the Gretna Police Department and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. While most of the district's high schools have had officers on campus for several years, the 2019 academic year will be the first time that police will be stationed at Haynes Academy School for Advanced Studies, Patrick Taylor Science & Technology Academy and Thomas Jefferson High School for Advanced Studies.
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New Vests, Helmets Aid Dracut Police
Lowell Sun, (06/10/2018), Amaris Castillo
The Dracut Police Department in Massachusetts has purchased new ballistic-resistant body armor and helmets. The department purchased the 10 vests and helmets using a $9,330 donation from the Old Home Day Committee.
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Crime in Wilmington, Delaware: City Launches Online Mapping Program
The News Journal, (06/08/2018), Brandon Holveck
Wilmington, Del., has launched an online crime mapping program that allows residents to view a map of crimes by type and location. People can use the crimemapping.com website to search their neighborhoods across specific time frames.
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Corrections News

Metzgar Introduces Plan to Combat Assaults in Prisons After SCI-Somerset Incidents
The Tribune-Democrat, (06/08/2018), David Hurst
A Pennsylvania lawmaker has suggested prison reform measures in the wake of assaults on corrections officers. Over the past six months, four corrections officers have been attacked and one of them killed by SCI-Somerset inmates. Legislation suggested by State Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar would eliminate the possibility of parole for inmates convicted of staff assault, impose a mandatory five-year sentence and lower the threshold for what is considered an assault on staff.
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Michigan Set to Close Another Prison Next Year
The Detroit News, (06/05/2018), Beth LeBlanc
Officials are likely to close another Michigan prison as the state's prison population dwindles. The prison population has fallen below 39,000 and the corrections department currently has 1,000 available beds among its 30 prisons. Officials believe the lower numbers are due to better vocational training and transition programs for inmates.
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NIST Adds Popular Drone Models to Forensic Reference Datasets to Assist Investigators
Homeland Preparedness News, (06/07//2018), Aaron Martin
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has added forensic images of 14 popular drone models to its Computer Forensic Reference Datasets to assist criminal investigations involving drones. Forensic images consist of a complete data extraction from a digital device. The drone images include simulated digital evidence to help investigators recover data from actual drones.
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Prison Chief: Better Pay, Tech Upgrades Helping Make Prisons Safer
Daily Advance, (06/06/2018), Reggie Ponder
Better pay for staff and technology upgrades are among the ways North Carolina officials are seeking to make prisons safer for employees, according to Reuben Young, interim chief deputy secretary of public safety for the N.C. Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice. New technology is designed to alert administrative staff more quickly when there is a problem in the facility.
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Biometrics Finding New Uses Among Inmate Populations
WBFO, (06/11/2018), Marian Hetherly and Randy Gorbman
This article discusses the use by corrections agencies of an Inmate Recognition Identification System. The technology uses a high-resolution digital scan of each inmate's eye for identification, and can be used for quick verification of an inmate.
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Oklahoma Leads Nation in Incarceration Rate
WAFB, (06/08/2018)
Oklahoma leads the nation for rate of incarceration, at 1,079 per 100,000 people, according to a study by the Prison Policy Initiative. Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama are the other states in the top five.
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Iris-Scanning Technology Comes to Marion County Jail
WISH TV, (06/07/2018), Phil Sanchez
The Marion County Sheriff's Office in Indiana has introduced iris scanning technology to help identify arrestees quickly. The new system will be used in conjunction with fingerprinting.
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Florida Prisons Get IPads. They Also Ponder Cuts to Visitation Hours.
WLRN, (06/08/2018), Daniel Rivero
This article discusses the Florida Department of Corrections proposal to reduce in-person visitation hours while providing inmates with tablets that can be used for virtual visitation with friends and family.
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Stewart Weldon Case Highlights Safeguards, Shortcomings of GPS Monitoring
Masslive.com, (06/10/2018), Patrick Johnson
This article examines issues surrounding the use of electronic monitoring devices for keeping track of offenders.
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