Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

Why All Cops Should Take Advantage of FLETC's Tactical Medical Training
Police News, (10/10/2018), Sean Curtis
This article offers a first-person account of participation in free tactical medical training provided by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. The entire approach to law enforcement medical training has changed in recent years, with emphasis placed on police officers as immediate first responders.
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Fentanyl Detection Strips Made Free to Public
The Healdsburg Tribune, (10/11/2018), Laura Hagar Rush
The Healdsburg (Calif.) Police Department and Healdsburg District Hospital now distribute free fentanyl detection strips, no questions asked, from the police department lobby and the hospital ER. The program is aimed at helping drug users from accidentally overdosing on fentanyl mixed with heroin.
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SNAP Program Alerts Officers to Special Need Residents
Cleburne Times-Review, (10/14/2018), Matt Smith
In Johnson County, Texas, residents can sign up for the Special Needs Awareness Program (SNAP) to provide emergency dispatch and law enforcement with information about an individual's special needs. Special needs may include issues such as autism, PTSD, schizophrenia, epilepsy, Alzheimer's, dementia, Down syndrome and hearing impairment; making officers aware of the individuals' needs can help situations involving interactions with law enforcement go more smoothly.
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Opioid Crisis: Miami Police to Place Addicts in Rehab, Not Jail
Newsweek, (10/16/2018), Daniel Moritz-Rabson
In a move to prioritize detainment of dealers over users, the Miami Police Department is partnering with several health providers to set up a one-year outpatient treatment program open to individuals possessing small quantities of opioids. Justice Department grants will pay for the treatment of approximately 100 individuals during a three-year pilot program.
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Harris County Steps Toward Mental Health Treatment Instead of Incarceration
Houston Public Media, (10/11/2018), Elizabeth Trovall
A new mental health diversion center serving Houston and Harris County recently opened to provide treatment and assistance to individuals who have committed non-violent, low-level crimes. Law enforcement officers could bring an Individual who is trespassing, for example, while in the midst of a mental health episode to the center for treatment rather than taking the individual to jail.
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Corrections News

New Tech at the Montgomery County Jail Designed to Prevent Airborne Overdoses
ABC 22Now, (10/09/2018), Bryn Caswell
New technology that will shut off an air-handling valve and confine an airborne substance to a small area of the Montgomery County (Ohio) Jail should help to prevent inhalation sickness if an illicit substance goes airborne. The jail opted to install the technology due to several incidents in nearby jails where a contraband substance got into the facility's ventilation system and made a large number of people sick.
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Officials Confirm Nearly 3,000 Florida Inmates Evacuated Because of Prison Damage
Miami Herald, (10/15/2018), Ben Conark for Jacksonville.com
Four days after Hurricane Michael made landfall, the Florida Department of Corrections has stated that four correctional facilities have been closed and nearly 3,000 inmates evacuated due to storm-related damage. The Florida DOC opted not to evacuate the inmates ahead of the storm, but conditions including damaged roofs and lack of sanitation forced the closures.
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Missouri Man Jailed After Posting Video on How to Remove Ankle Monitors
WVLT8, (10/11/2018)
Dustin W. Burns, 33, of Springfield, Mo., has been jailed on charges of tampering with electronic monitoring equipment after making a four-minute video on how to remove a tracking device and posting it on Facebook. Police say Burns made the video while on probation for violating a restraining order.
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