Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

Boston Vet Uses Forensics to Help Police Track Down Animal Abusers
Boston 25, (08/14/2018)
Boston area veterinarian Martha Smith-Blackmore decided to do a fellowship with a medical examiner's office and obtain extra forensic training after she was asked to do an autopsy in a "Puppy Doe" animal cruelty case. Now, Smith-Blackmore and her Forensic Veterinary Investigations business provide consultant services to law enforcement agencies across the United States.
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Los Angeles Is First in US to Install Subway Body Scanners
Herald-Whig, (08/15/2018), Michael Balsamo
The law enforcement division of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will install portable body scanners to screen customers for weapons and explosives. The devices, manufactured in the United Kingdom, do full-body screenings of individuals as they walk through the stations. Their detection range is 30 feet with a throughput rate of more than 2,000 individuals every hour.
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School Installs Gunshot Detectors to Prevent School Shootings
Spectrum News Triad, (8/14/2018), Rilwan Balogun
Phoenix Academy in High Point, N.C., is in the process of implementing a gunshot detection system that will integrate with the local police department dispatch system. The device, based on military technology, listens for specific sounds and also tries to detect the light that would come off a fired gun.
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'It Kind of Worked.' Cops Dressed Mannequins in Police Uniforms to Slow Down Drivers
Kansas City Star, (08/17/2018), Scott Berson
The Tucson (Ariz.) Police Department recently experimented with using mannequins dressed in police uniforms at key traffic points in an attempt to get drivers to slow down. According to local social media, residents had mixed feelings about the idea.
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'Project Standup' Lets Students, Parents Report Violence by Texting
KFYRTV.com, (08/17/2018)
North Dakota's Project Standup, an existing tipline previously used to submit drug-related reports to police, has expanded to include threats of school violence. With the start of the school year, school resource officers and school administrators have been given access to the system, which is privately funded.
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Go Ahead — Steal This Car! We Dare You, Say Police
Riverdale Press, (08/19/2018), Zak Kostro
The 50th Precinct of the New York Police Department, located in Riverdale, has received a $100,000 grant expand an existing anti-auto theft "bait car" program. The program uses plainclothes officers and bait cars in areas plagued by high auto crime. The grant will pay for two cars, cameras and a surveillance van.
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Ambridge Firefighters to Have Extra Protection
The Times, (08/19/2018), Daveen Rae Kurutz
The police department in Ambridge, Pa., has donated ballistic-resistant vests worn by short-term officers who left the department to the local fire department. Although the vests were not custom fitted for the firefighters, they can be worn, if needed, by individuals with similar body types. Previously, the vests sat unused at the police department after the officers left.
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EARS Donates 100th K-9 First Aid Kit to Save Police Dogs
News 12 Connecticut, (08/20/2018)
The Emergency Animal Response Service (EARS) of Connecticut has donated 100 K-9 medical kits to local police departments, in addition to creating a K-9 critical care program. More donations are planned for the immediate future.
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New Surround Screen Simulation at Santa Ana Police Department Could Save Your Life and a Cop's
Orange County Register, (08/20/2018), David Whiting
The Santa Ana (Calif.) Police Department is one of three in the country participating in a free eight-month beta test of new firearms simulation training that uses five screens to create an experience that almost totally surrounds the trainee. The new system allows officers to be trained to look to the sides and behind them instead of playing to a single video screen located in front. The scenarios emphasize de-escalation tactics as well as firearms training.
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Mobile Technology Helping Police Combat Mental Illness
KRBK, (08/21/2018)
In Springfield, Mo., law enforcement officers now use mobile tablet technology to connect themselves with local mental health services for assistance when encountering an individual in crisis. A significant portion of all emergency calls involve an individual who is experiencing a mental health crisis.
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Heart Saver Donates AEDs to Law Enforcement
TriState Homepage.com, (08/21/2018), Grace Whaley
Heart Saver, a program out of Deaconess Hospital in Warrick County, Ind., has donated a total of 11 AEDs to the Warrick County Sheriff's Department and the Chandler Police Department. The law enforcement agencies will place the devices in patrol cars to assist with lifesaving efforts.
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Courts News

Steubenville Municipal Court Video Conferencing System Up and Running
WTOV9, (08/22/2018), Jessica Haberly
The municipal court in Steubenville, Ohio, has installed a new videoconferencing system that will allow inmate arraignments by video, freeing up officers who otherwise would have to be on transport duty or spend time searching inmates on their return. The system also keeps the judge and others in the courthouse safer as well
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Corrections News

Network Outages Can Cut Prisons Off From Outside, but DMV's Hand-Me-Down Equipment Could Fix That
Nevada Independent, (08/15/2018), Michelle Rindels
When the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles decided to stop an overhaul of its computing system, the Nevada Board of Examiners voted to allow the Department of Corrections to purchase the unused equipment at a bargain price of $158,000. The equipment, valued in excess of several million dollars, will help create redundancy to keep correctional facilities up and running in the event of a network outage.
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A Solution to the Cash Bail Crisis Might Be Almost as Bad
The Progressive, (08/08/2018), Stephanie Wykstra
This article examines the issues surrounding increased use of electronic monitoring as part of the move to introduce sentencing reform and reduce jail populations.
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How Philadelphia Spent $5M on a New Prison Management System and Got Nothing
Philly.com, (08/09/2018), Samantha Melamed and Claudia Vargas
Earlier in 2018, Philadelphia opted out of a contract to create a new inmate tracking system for the city, racking up a $5.6 million loss with nothing to show for it. The project is one of at least five major modernization projects affected by major delays, cost overruns or cancellation. In the meantime, the city continues to use an outdated system originally developed in the 1990s.
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At San Quentin Prison, 'The Last Mile' Leads to Silicon Valley
PCMag.com, (08/13/2018), S.C. Stuart
This article features an interview with Kenyatta Leal, a successful graduate of The Last Mile program in the California correctional system. The program teaches inmates to code and prepares them for technology industry jobs in an attempt to reduce recidivism.
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Trapped: How Fee-Based GPS Monitoring Puts a 'Price Tag on Freedom'
The Crime Report, (08/14/2018), Phil Telfeyan
This opinion piece examines the issues created when correctional systems turn their GPS monitoring programs over to for-profit companies.
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High-profile Kentucky Murder Led to New Domestic Violence Law. It's Not Being Used.
Lexington-Herald Leader, (08/17/2018), Jack Brammer
A 2010 Kentucky law that expanded the use of GPS monitoring to alert domestic violence victims when their past attackers were nearby has seldom been used. Judges seem reluctant to use the law because guidelines on its use are vague, said the attorney who sponsored the legislation as then-House Speaker.
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