Wyoming Public Safety Communications System Should be Online Next Year
Wyolink, the $50 million digital VHF trunked radio project to unify and coordinate Wyoming's public safety communications during an emergency, should be completed sometime in 2008. As a Project 25 compliant system, WyoLink is not vendor dependent and can therefore use a wide variety of communications equipment.
Bill McCarthy, "WyoLink system might be completed by next year," Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, 31 Oct. 2007: A3
Columbus, Ohio Receives Federal Technology Grant
Columbus, Ohio Mayor Michael B. Coleman is forwarding legislation to the Columbus City Council to accept a $6.2 million U.S. Department of Justice COPS grant to buy new high-tech tools to enhance communication between Columbus police officers, firefighters, residents and neighboring law enforcement agencies. “From laptops to radios and a new digital mug shot database, these new high-tech tools will help Columbus police officers in the field to share real-time crime data with our residents and strengthen our cooperation with regional law enforcement officials,” said Mayor Coleman. “And firefighters will have more detailed data before entering the scene of a fire or emergency to save lives.”
"Columbus Earns $6.2 million Federal Grant to Purchase High-Tech Tools for Divisions of Police and Fire," City of Columbus, Ohio news release, 5 Nov. 2007
Fingerprint Check Helps Border Patrol Nab Murder Suspect
Border Patrol agents arrested an individual with an outstanding warrant for homicide when agents assigned to the McAllen, Texas station interviewed several subjects at the La Joya Police Department for possible immigration violation. During processing, one subject’s fingerprints were submitted to the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, linking him to an outstanding warrant of arrest out of Travis County, Texas for homicide.
"Fingerprint Check Allows Border Patrol to Arrest Murder Suspect," U.S. Customs & Border Protection news release, 31 Oct. 2007
Maine Towns Linked by Computer Network
Thanks to a $70,000 federal grant received from the Department of Homeland Security in 2006, the Jay Police Department has equipped its cruisers with wireless computers which allow officers to run their own records checks and prepare reports while on patrol. The computers are linked to other area departments through a regional network that has cut down on interdepartmental radio traffic.
Donna M. Perry, "Police in Jay go high tech," Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine), 2 Nov. 2007: B1
Georgia County to Start Iris Scanning
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office plans to use an iris recognition system, donated by the manufacturer, to scan the county's 44 known sex offenders. The $10,000 device will also be used to scan the irises of area children into the Children's Identification and Location Database Project (CHILD), and area elderly into the Senior Safety Net.
Amy Leigh Womack, "Monroe scanner to keep eye on criminals," The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph, 30 Oct. 2007
