Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

Call of Possible Drunk Driver Came Before Fatal Officer-involved Shooting
WECT, (12/13/2016)
Leland (N.C.) Police Officer Jacob Schwenk survived several bullet wounds, including one to the chest that was stopped by his ballistic-resistant vest, in a shootout with a suspect Friday evening. Schwenk was responding to a call of a vehicle weaving in the roadway and running over mailboxes. He exchanged gunfire with the driver, Brent Quinn, who was killed in the exchange.
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County Approves $11.15 Million Contract for Updated Equipment
WOWT 6 News, (12/06/2016)
The emergency communications system in Douglas County, Neb., will be updated with new site equipment and enhanced data under an $11.15 million contract with Motorola Solutions. The upgrades include new radios for the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Douglas County Corrections and rural law enforcement agencies in the county. The new radios allow for additional features and functionality, and the upgraded network provides improved communications and interoperability.
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FBI Uses Animal Abuse Data to Study Correlation to Crimes Against Humans
Charleston Gazette-Mail, (12/06/2016), Rick Steelhammer
Animal abuse is believed to be a key precursor activity to crimes of violence against people, and this year the FBI began collecting animal cruelty crime data for use in investigating violent crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault and homicide. Animal cruelty crime data is included in the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which also tracks hate crimes and violent crimes. Demographic information in NIBRS about animal cruelty offenders including age, gender and previous arrests will help FBI analysts determine how strong the link is between animal cruelty and crimes of violence against people. The database allows investigators to identify and map hot spots for puppy mills, dog fighting and cockfighting, and keep track of the names and location of people known to be involved in them.
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'Tool Kit' Announced to Aid Law Enforcement With Backlogged Rape Kits
WHAS11 (12/07/2016)
Kentucky law enforcement agencies now have a "tool kit" to help deal with thousands of untested rape kits. The tool kit released by state Attorney General Andy Beshear includes resources for law enforcement on managing sexual assault kits, preplanning of investigations while kits are being tested, reviewing DNA results once kits are returned, and notifying and interviewing victims.
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Bay Area Law Enforcement Agencies Get Funding to Improve Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety
Tampa Bay Business Journal, (12/01/2016), Janelle Irwin
Law enforcement agencies in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties in Florida will use grant money to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. The grants from the Florida Department of Transportation and the University of South Florida's Center for Urban Transportation Research will be used, for example, for officer overtime to monitor busy and dangerous intersections, and for officers dedicated to enforcing pedestrian and cycling rules and educating motorists on how to be safe.
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Aviation Unit Returns to the Department of Natural Resources
HeliHub, (12/04/2016)
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources again has a helicopter as an enforcement tool. The aircraft will be used as a surveillance platform to assist Natural Resources police officers as they patrol 17,000 miles of waterways and nearly a half-million acres of public lands. The department once had a police aviation unit, which was eliminated in 2009 and its helicopter transferred to another agency. That same helicopter became available last year, and after it was refurbished, was brought back to the department.
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Sacramento, Calif., Police Launch Real-Time Crime Center
Government Technology, (12/07/2016), Eyragon Eidam
The Sacramento Police Department has a new Real-Time Crime Center, which will provide officers in the field with real-time, tech-enabled intelligence during large events and critical incidents. Law enforcement officials now have access to more than 46 police mobile camera systems and other streaming video feeds from surface streets, public transit and popular public areas. Center staff also monitor radio traffic, social media feeds and a gunshot detection system.
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Grants to Help Community Policing Efforts
CBS19 Newsplex, (12/12/2016)
Three dozen law enforcement agencies across Virginia are getting grants to support training and equipment to enhance the agencies' community-inclusive policing efforts. The money for the grants comes from federal funds awarded to Virginia by the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program. Earlier this year, listening sessions were held for law enforcement and community groups, during which ideas were pitched and then selected for funding, including one-on-one and small group mentoring for youths and their families; training for law enforcement officers in de-escalation and crisis communication strategies; and equipment for a police department athletic program intended for at-risk youth.
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Corrections News

New Screening Tool, Vigilance Lead to Drop in Texas Jail Suicides
The Texas Tribune, (12/04/2016), Johnathan Silver
Inmate suicides in Texas county jails have sharply declined since the jails began using a new intake form to determine if inmates are suicide risks, along with better follow-up and services. Since December 2015, 14 county jail inmates have taken their own lives, a drop from a record 34 suicides between December 2014 and November 2015. Previously, jails asked inmates to self-report medical problems and indicate if they felt depressed or suicidal. The new screening forms use multiple questions to obtain the same information and give jailers lengthier instructions for responding to inmate answers. Additional suggestions for improvement include diverting inmates with mental illness and substance abuse and enhancing suicide prevention techniques.
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Lower Inmate Population Results in Unit Closures
The Hour, (12/07/2016), Ken Dixon
Connecticut recently closed four units at the Osborn Correctional Institution in Somers due to a drop in crime in the state and fewer inmates. The units once held 400 prisoners. The state is experiencing a drop in crime and a 40-percent decline in the recidivism rate. The prison population is down 17-percent since 2012, with about 14,800 inmates currently, and three prisons have been closed in recent years. Over the last three years, the state has seen a 23 percent drop in violent crime, which is now is at its lowest level in Connecticut since 1974.
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Prisons Set to Receive $1.3 Million to Fight Illegal Cell Phone Use
The Post and Courier, (12/08/2016), Gavin Jackson
South Carolina plans to operate a $1.3 million system to detect and target illegal cell phone use by inmates in restrictive housing units in four state prisons. It is seen as the best option available to combat illegal phone use, since federal law prohibits cell phone jamming. In 2015, the Department of Corrections reported 1,610 incidents involving cell phones, or their accessories, by inmates.
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'It Does Not Have to be This Way': Report Slams Services for Former Inmates Returning to D.C.
The Washington Post, (12/12/2016), Justin Wm. Moyer
People returning to the District of Columbia after serving time in prison face particular challenges for successful reentry into society, according to a report from the Council for Court Excellence. The report said that "D.C.'s returning citizens face a variety of challenges that returning citizens elsewhere simply do not confront," and notes the city's status as a federal district rather than a state. The report found that more than one in five employed returning citizens lack stable housing when they return to the community, and those who were unemployed were even more likely to stay in homeless shelters or on the street. Its recommendations include that correctional facilities have returning citizens apply for housing up to 90 days before release, and it urges the D.C. Council to approve legislation preventing landlords from discriminating against those with criminal records. Kevin Donahue, the city's deputy mayor for public safety and justice, said in a statement that the District "continues to identify opportunities to improve our supports for our inmate population and returning citizens in an effort to reduce recidivism."
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Department of Justice and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Name New Member of National Commission on Forensic Science

The Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced the appointment of Randy Hanzlick, M.D. to the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS.) Dr. Hanzlick also accepted the invitation to serve as the NCFS Medicolegal Death Investigation subcommittee co-chair alongside NCFS Commissioner John Fudenberg.

The commission, created in 2013, develops forward-looking policy recommendations for the Attorney General to enhance the practice and improve the reliability of forensic science. The commission is co-chaired by Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates, and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Dr. Willie E. May. Deputy Assistant Administrator Nelson Santos of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Forensic Sciences and Special Assistant John M. Butler to the NIST Director for Forensic Science serve as vice-chairs.

 “The Department of Justice remains committed to advancing the use of forensic science and the commission continues to make important recommendations and be an integral part of that work,” said Deputy Attorney General Yates. “Medicolegal death investigation has been among the commission’s areas of focus and has led to several recommendations. I look forward to Dr. Randy Hanzlick continued discussions and contributions in this area.”

“We are grateful to Dr. Hanzlick for his willingness to serve on this very important commission,” said Under Secretary May. “We could not accomplish our goal of improving the practice of forensic science without such nationally respected experts. His addition will really strengthen our efforts around medical death investigations.”

Dr. Randy Hanzlick is recently retired from his position of 18 years as Chief of the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office. He has 33 years of experience as a forensic pathologist, including nearly a decade at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  He is a past President of the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) and co-chaired the Scientific Working Group on Medicolegal Death Investigation with fellow Commissioner John Fudenberg. He has over 200 publications and has been a faculty member of Emory University. Dr. Hanzlick has received numerous professional awards, including the Helpern Laureate Award, the highest honor awarded by NAME. Throughout his career, Dr. Hanzlick has been involved in efforts to improve medicolegal death investigation systems, guidelines and standards of forensic pathology practices and the education of young forensic pathologists. He is credited with assisting in the development of CDC Sudden Unexplained Infant Death forms, National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Death Scene Investigation Guidelines and the NIJ National Missing and Unidentified program.

Dr. Hanzlick replaces Dr. Vincent Di Maio, who recently resigned from the commission.

The National Commission on Forensic Science includes federal, state and local forensic science service providers; research scientists and academics; law enforcement officials; prosecutors, defense attorneys and judges; and other stakeholders from across the country. This breadth of experience and expertise reflects the many different entities that contribute to forensic science practice in the U.S. and will ensure that these broad perspectives are represented on the commission and in its work.

Third U.S.-China High-Level Joint Dialogue on Cybercrime and Related Issues

Joint Summary of Outcomes

Yesterday, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, together with Chinese State Councilor and Minister of the Ministry of Public Security Guo Shengkun, co-chaired the third U.S.-China High-Level Joint Dialogue on Cybercrime and Related Issues.  The dialogue aims to review the timeliness and quality of responses to requests for information and assistance with respect to cybercrime or other malicious cyber activities and to enhance pragmatic bilateral cooperation with regard to cybercrime, network protection and other related issues. 

Both sides endorse the establishment of the dialogue mechanism as beneficial to bilateral communication and enhanced cooperation, and believe that further solidifying, developing and maintaining the dialogue mechanism and continuing to strengthen bilateral cooperation in cybersecurity is beneficial to mutual interests.

The outcomes of the third dialogue are listed as below:

1. Combatting Cybercrime and Cyber-Enabled Crime.  Both sides re-commit to cooperate on the investigation of cyber crimes and malicious cyber activities emanating from China or the United States and to refrain from cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property with the intent of providing competitive advantages to companies or commercial sectors.  To that end, both sides:

    Plan to continue the mechanism of the “Status Report on U.S./China Cybercrime Cases” to evaluate the effectiveness of case cooperation.

    Affirm that both sides intend to focus cooperation on hacking and cyber-enabled fraud cases, share cybercrime-related leads and information with each other in a timely manner, and determine priority cases for continued law enforcement cooperation.  Both sides intend to continue cooperation on cases involving online distribution of child pornography.  Both sides seek to expand cyber-enabled crime cooperation to counter Darkweb marketplaces’ illicit sale of synthetic drugs and firearms.

    Seek to provide concrete and timely updates on cases brought within the ambit of the dialogue.

    Exchanged views on existing channels of multilateral cooperation, and intend to continue exchanges regarding this topic.

2. Network Protection.  Both sides acknowledged the network protection seminar held in August 2016 in China, and believe that enhancing network protection is beneficial to both sides.  Both sides suggest holding regular network protection working-level meetings, either remotely or in-person, the next of which should be planned for 2017.  Both sides seek to promote the protection of our respective networks through multiple methods. To that end, both sides:

    Plan to enhance network hygiene by promoting the cleaning and patching of malware infections in our respective networks and promoting best network protection practices.

    Propose to engage in regular reciprocal sharing of malicious IP addresses, malware samples, analytic products, and other network protection information, and to develop standard operating procedures to guide network protection cooperation.

    Seek to assess the effectiveness of information shared and provide substantive feedback to each side regarding the utility of that information.

    Plan to provide Principals with regular summaries of network protection cooperation.

    Intend to continue discussion on future cooperation concerning cybersecurity of critical infrastructure, and to provide timely assistance on cybersecurity incidents impacting critical infrastructure.

    Intend to hold, as early as possible in 2017, a U.S.-China government and technology company roundtable to discuss cybersecurity issues of mutual concern.

3. Misuse of Technology and Communications to Facilitate Violent Terrorist Activities.  Both sides acknowledged the seminar on misuse of technology and communications to facilitate violent acts of terrorism held in November 2016 in China, and decided to continue cooperation on information sharing in countering the use of the Internet for terrorist and other criminal purposes.  Both sides will consider holding a second seminar in 2017.

4. Hotline Mechanism.  Both sides welcomed the launch of the U.S.-China Cybercrime and Related Issues Hotline Mechanism, and decided to continue to use the hotline in accordance with the Work Plan.  Both sides will conduct routine review of the use of the hotline.

5. Dialogue Continuity.  Both sides recommend that the dialogue continue to be held each year, and that the fourth dialogue occur in 2017.