West Hartford Police Get New Computer System
The West Hartford, Conn. Police Department is replacing its 20-year-old computer-aided dispatch and records management system with a new system that will allow officers to search criminal records and file reports from their cruisers, keeping them on patrol longer.
Jennifer Grogan, “New computer system to aid police,” Hartford (Conn.) Courant, 27 June 2006: B2
Crash Reports Go Online in Ohio
The Ohio State Highway Patrol has tested new software at its Lancaster post that will allow troopers to prepare crash reports on laptops and send them to headquarters electronically. Once rolled out statewide, the software will replace handwritten reports that had to be sent by U.S. mail.
Carl Burnett, “State Highway Patrol first post to switch over to computerized crash reports,” Lancaster (Ohio) Eagle Gazette, 24 June 2006: 3A
Ohio Counties to Get Mobile Command Centers
The Ashland County, Ohio Sheriff's Department has received a mobile command center designed to improve regional communications among police, fire and other first-responders in a 10-county area during emergencies. The high-tech van was purchased using a $440,000 grant funded by a joint project of the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association and the Ohio Emergency Management Agency to have 11 mobile systems placed around the state.
Al Lawrence, "Grant gives area first-responders high-tech communications vehicle,” Mansfield (Ohio) News Journal, 26 June 2006: 3A
States Receive NGA Support for Information Sharing Efforts
To support states in improving their justice information sharing programs, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) has announced the award of six grants to help states electronically share critical public safety information among law enforcement, courts, and corrections systems. Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, South Carolina and Wisconsin each have been selected to receive $25,000 for justice information sharing projects to be completed by January 2007.
"NGA Center Announces Justice Information Grants," NGA press release, 26 June 2006
Report Looks at DHS Information Sharing with the States
A new report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General reviews the department's Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN). The objectives of the report - titled Homeland Security Information Network Could Support Information Sharing More Effectively - were to 1) identify DHS' plans and activities for sharing information with state and local governments; 2) determine how well HSIN supports these plans and activities; and, 3) identify challenges to information sharing among federal, state, and local government agencies.
Alice Lipowicz, “Skinner: DHS info network falls short of vision" Washington Technology, 28 June 2006
