Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

A Cop Comforted Her at a Crucial Moment. Now She's on Movie Screens to Recruit Women Officers
Twin Cities Pioneer Press, (12/21/2018), Mara Gottfried
When Anna Taylor was four years old, she was the sole survivor of an automobile crash that took her mother's life. A memory of the comfort offered by a state trooper helped lead to her decision to become a police officer, and now she's starring in a recruitment video being shown in local theaters at no charge to the St. Paul Police Department.
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Mobile Fingerprint Scanners May Save You From Being Arrested Due to Mistaken Identity
Ft. Collins Coloradan, (12/27/2018), Saja Hindi
The Larimer County (Colo.) Sheriff's Office now deploys 20 mobile fingerprint scanners thanks to a grant from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The devices are used by deputies on the street and in the jail, and have enabled officers to quickly identify individuals who cannot, or will not, provide identification. However, the devices only provide assistance if the individual in question has been fingerprinted and recorded in a statewide database in the past.
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ANSI Group Releases UAS Standardization Roadmap
UAS Magazine, (01/01/2019), Patrick Miller
With a goal of gaining broad adoption, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative (UASSC) of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recently released a UAS roadmap intended to encourage a coordinated approach to standards development. It looks at 64 specific areas and includes recommendations related to airworthiness, flight operations, personnel training, qualifications and certification.
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How Co-responder Teams Are Changing the Way Minneapolis Police Deal With Mental Health Calls
Minneapolis Post, (01/02/2019), Jessica Lee
In Minneapolis, Officer Colleen Ryan and her partner, senior psychiatric social worker Nils Dybvig, are trialing a co-responder program featuring a new way of responding to mental health crisis calls. The more comprehensive approach includes building a rapport of trust with callers and following up in subsequent days. The initial stages of the project have shown promising results.
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NPD K-9 Smokey Receives Overdose Reversal Kit
Newton Dailey News, (01/04/2019), Orrin Shawl
Thanks to the K-9s of Valor organization, the Newton (Ill.) Police Department now has an overdose reversal kit that uses a naloxone dose targeted for dogs. Narcotics-sniffing dogs face increased danger due to the opioid crisis; the organization provides kits to qualifying departments.
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NOPD Officer in Stable Condition After Being Shot, Civilian Dead: Police Superintendent
New Orleans Times-Picayune, (01/05/2019), Laura McKnight
A New Orleans Police Department officer responding to an attempted suicide call survived two shots to the chest thanks to his ballistic-resistant body armor, according to the police superintendent. Other officers returned fire on the suspect, who later died at a local medical center.
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Cold-case Investigation Warms Up With Help From Forensic Artist
Penn State News, (01/07/2019), Leon Valsech
The West Manchester Township Police Department in Pennsylvania's York County recently held a press conference to promote the work of forensic artist Jenny Kenyon in creating a clay model bust of a 2013 cold case victim. Kenyon used a 3D printed model of his skull to create the bust. This is the first time the department has turned to a forensic artist in an attempt to identify a murder victim. Kenyon has primarily worked in the field of archaeology; this was the first time she provided assistance on a cold case.
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San Diego Bomb Squad to Begin using Drones
SecurityInfoWatch, (01/07/2019), Alex Riggins for the San Diego Union-Tribune
San Diego's fire department bomb squad and the Chula Vista Police Department recently began limited use of drone technology as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program. A total of 10 cities and agencies were chosen to participate in the pilot program in May 2018. Participants submit reports to the Federal Aviation Administration four times a year to help the FAA update its rules for drone usage.
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Corrections News

Inmates at Missouri State Prisons Tinker With New Tablets
KFVS12, (12/24/2018), Nathan Elgren
The Missouri Department of Corrections has begun rolling out a program to provide inmates with tablets that will help them learn about new technology and also become better connected with friends and family. As participants in a new incentive program, well-behaved inmates will get access to additional apps.
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Amid a Growing Opioid Epidemic, Lawmakers Hope to End Drug-addiction Withdrawal in County Jails
The Colorado Independent, (01/07/2019), John Herrick
Better medical treatment for inmates experiencing withdrawal symptoms may be a priority for Colorado in 2019. In the past five years, at least four inmates have died from withdrawal complications while incarcerated in county jails, which are not equipped to treat these individuals. Forced withdrawal carries significant medical risks and is not an effective way to keep an individual from using in the future.
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Former Felons Can Begin Registering to Vote in Florida
MSN News, (01/08/2019), Ariana Gomez Licon for the Associated Press
With the exception of individuals convicted of murder and sex offenses, former felons living in Florida can now register to vote. The move, approved by 65 percent of voters in the November election, could increase the state's voter pool by as many as 1.4 million people.
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Successful Podcast Leads to Inmate's Early Parole
Komando.com, (01/04/2019), Ben Bradley
A San Quentin inmate's efforts as co-host and co-producer of a podcast called "Ear Hustle" that documents life inside the prison has won him a commutation of his sentence. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown released Walter Woods in November 2018, calling him a positive example of how an inmate can turn his life around.
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Police: Accused Robber Wears GPS Monitor to Holdup
Worcester Telegram & Gazette, (01/02/2019), Gary V. Murray
GPS coordinates from a Worcester, Mass., man's mobile tracking device placed him at the scene of an early morning holdup in August 2018, and led to his recent arraignment on related charges. The device was apparently cut off sometime after the holdup; the man has pleaded not guilty.
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