California City Testing Fingerprint Devices
The Stockton Police Department is field-testing portable fingerprint scanners, which can upload prints taken in the field to be checked against a county fingerprint database via cellular link in patrol cars. The scanners cost about $1,500 each, and save time bringing suspects to headquarters to verify identities.
Christian Burkin, "Fingerprint device lends officers a hand: Stockton police use scanner as way to speed up record checks," The Record (Stockton, Calif.), 25 Sept. 2007
South Dakota County Buys License Plate Reader
The Minnehaha County, S.Dak. Sheriff's Office has purchased a license plate reader which can almost instantly scan for the 350,000 plates listed in the FBI's NCIC database of stolen vehicles and other warrants.
Jill Callison, "Sheriff's camera system will snap license plates," Argus Leader (Sioux Falls, S.Dak.), 27 Sept. 2007: 2A
Video Surveillance Improvements Planned in Chicago
Over the last few years, the City of Chicago has been developing a fiber optic network of thousands of video surveillance cameras - called Operation Virtual Shield, designed to improve public safety. Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) is testing analytics software that could help the camera network recognize suspicious items or people, making the network more useful as an anti-terror tool.
Robert McMillan, "IBM Software to Scan Chicago Streets," IDG News Service, 27 Sept. 2007
Merging Computer Operations in Montana
Towards the end of October, the Great Falls Police Department and the Cascade County Sheriff's Office are slated to begin sharing the same computer server, a new $145,000 IBM i-Series model located in the police station. The systems merger will improve information sharing between the agencies, consolidating dispatcher operations once county data is converted to work with the city's software.
Richard Ecke, "Merged computer information will save police and sheriff's departments more time, money," Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune, 20 Sept. 2007: 6M
San Diego Communications Interoperability Project Wins Award
San Diego's Regional Command and Control Communications (3Cs) Project, which was recently presented an award from Computerworld magazine, is implementing tools such as video conferencing and streaming video to improve first responder communications during a large-scale incident. Proposed jointly by the City and County of San Diego as an alternative regional emergency communications system, the pilot program for the 3Cs network includes San Diego Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, CalFire San Diego Unit, as well as the County and City Emergency Operations Centers.
Tony Manolatos, "S.D. police walk streets with gun, badge, PDA; Force designs wireless crime-fighting tools," The San Diego (Calif.) Union-Tribune, 24 Sept. 2007: A1
Police in Illinois Get Grants for Squad Car Laptops
Governor Rod Blagojevich has announced $1.6 million in federal grants, funded through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, that will enable municipal, county, and statewide law enforcement agencies in Northern Illinois to acquire in-car computer data equipment to help improve access to criminal records during traffic stops and enhance public and police safety. “These grants will help hundreds of law enforcement agencies acquire state-of-the-art technology that will provide them with critical information whenever they make a traffic stop. This will in turn help improve public safety across Northern Illinois,” Governor Blagojevich said.
"Police cruisers in northern Illinois going high-tech," Chicago (Ill.) Tribune, 23 Sept. 2007
