Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

Kansas Bureau of Investigation to Staff $1M Cybercrime Unit
The Topeka Capital-Journal, (05/23/2019), Tim Carpenter
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation will create a new investigation unit to focus on cybercrimes targeting the state and citizens. Officials say the agency will assign eight personnel to the unit. The FBI's internet crime center reported losses by Kansas victims of cybercrime rose from $3.9 million in 2015 to $17 million in 2018.
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Chicago Police Turn to Virtual Reality Technology to Train Officers in How to Deal With the Mentally Ill
Chicago Tribune, (05/22/2019), Jeremy Gorner
The Chicago Police Department will use virtual reality technology to help in training police officers on how to deal with people experiencing mental health episodes. The technology allows users to view computer-simulated scenarios through special headgear. The training covers how officers should react to people with schizophrenia or autism.
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Virginia District Equips Schools With Trauma Kits, Emergency Response App
Campus Security & Life Safety, (05/24/2019), Jessica Davis
Gloucester County Public Schools is equipping its campuses with trauma kits and an accompanying emergency response app. The GCPS Safety Committee decided to purchase the Mobilize Public Access Rescue station for all campuses, along with the Mobilize Rescue App. In an emergency, a civilian can use one of the Rescue Station's Individual Public Access Kits, open the Mobilize Rescue App on a smartphone and follow the app's instructions to manage cardiac arrest, seizures and other medical problems while emergency responders head to campus.
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Southern California Police, Deputies Being Issued Antidote for Opioid Overdoses
The Press-Enterprise, (05/26/2019), Brian Rokos
The Riverside County Sheriff's Department in California is among the latest law enforcement agencies to provide its deputies with Narcan, which is used to reverse opioid overdoses. Already this month, the department said, deputies revived an unresponsive woman who had overdosed on heroin and methamphetamine. There were 140 opioid overdose deaths in Riverside County in 2017, the most recent year for which such data is available, the California Department of Public Health said.
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As Rural Police Departments Struggle to Attract Officers, a New Utah-Based Program Offers a Potential Solution
Deseret News, (05/27/2019), Gretel Kauffman
A Utah State University program allows aspiring law enforcement officers in rural Utah to earn their Peace Officer Standards and Training certification through online night classes. The program, which also incorporates hands-on training with local law enforcement, is aimed at helping small, isolated departments hire more people who already live and work in their communities.
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Corrections News

How an HVAC Program is Reducing Recidivism and Saving Energy in Virginia
CorrectionsOne.com, (05/23/2019), Phillip Lowery
The Virginia Department of Corrections has a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) vocational program to provide inmates with marketable skills as well as optimize its building performance and reduce energy costs. The Green HVAC Vocational Program teaches inmates technician training in learning labs equipped with HVAC equipment and controls.
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SC Prisons Changing the Way Inmates Are Classified and Housed
The Post and Courier, (05/28/2019), Andrew Brown
South Carolina prison officials are rolling out a sweeping policy change that will give the state more discretion in deciding where to locate inmates in the state's 21 correctional institutions. Agency officials say the change is to encourage good behavior and better ensure the safety of prisoners. Under the current system, prison officials classify each inmate based largely on the severity of the crime and the length of the sentence, and the classification determines which prison will house an inmate. The new rules weigh other considerations such as prisoners' age, medical situation, criminal history and gang affiliations when deciding where to place them.
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