Abita Springs (LA) Police get squad car laptops
Police in Abita Springs, Louisiana have equipped patrol cars with laptop computers, allowing them to run license plate checks without relying on dispatchers. U.S. Department of Justice funding for the computers was received through Abita Springs’ affiliation with the St. Tammany Law Enforcement Consortium, which also includes the St. Tammany Sheriff's Office and eight other local departments.
Source: “Tech projects give local police an edge” by Karl Kell; The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) February 25, 2001
Botetourt County (VA) Sheriff's Office Web site seeks crime-solving tips
The Botetourt County (Virginia) Sheriff's Office has created a “Help Solve a Crime” section on its Web site seeking tips from the public. Crimes listed on the page include thefts of guns, all-terrain vehicles, lawn mowers and computers. The department has not yet received any leads from the public, but hits on the site have increased.
Source: “Police Agencies Venture Into Cyberspace to Solve Crimes; Botetourt County Posts Crimes Online, Solicits Citizen Assistance” by Joanne Poindexter; Roanoke (VA) Times & World News, February 28, 2001, Pg. B1
Tulsa (OK) Police offer crime mapping to public
The Tulsa (Oklahoma) Police Department Web site now offers a Crime Mapping section designed to help residents learn about crime trends. The mapping function was developed over the past year by the department's Crime Analysis unit. Maps include data on homicides, robberies, sexual assaults and other major crimes, and will be updated every three months.
Source: “Police Web site allows users to take a byte out of crime statistics” by Tom Droege; The Tulsa (OK) World, March 3, 2001
Springdale (AK) Police get squad car laptops
The Springdale (Arkansas) Police Department has outfitted 15 patrol cars with laptop computers that will enable officers to prepare reports in their vehicles, access department records and communicate by silent dispatch. The computers were purchased in 1999 as part of a $1.2 million computer system upgrade, and a recent $75,000 grant from the Springdale-based CommunityCare Foundation funded the purchase of modems, servers and other equipment for wireless communications. The department plans to eventually buy laptops for all 65 patrol cars.
Source; “Laptop computers in police cars keep officers informed, on streets” by Andy Davis; The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, February 24, 2001, Pg. B3
D.C. deciding which felons should be in DNA database
The District of Columbia’s Judiciary Committee is debating which categories of offenses should require mandatory DNA collection once collection from inmates and parolees begins in June, as mandated by the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act. Some elected officials want all categories of felonies to require DNA testing and inclusion in the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, which is the law in neighboring Virginia. Others want to follow the model of Maryland, which collects DNA evidence only from categories of sex offenders and violent felons.
Source: “D.C. Officials Ponder Which Felons to Make Part of DNA Database; Privacy, Public Safety Concerns at Issue” by Sewell Chan; Washington Post, March 10, 2001, Pg. B2
Michigan Public Safety Communications System nears completion
Phase 3 of the $187 million Michigan Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS) has been completed and is now available to law enforcement across the Lower Peninsula. MPSCS, a digital 800 megahertz radio system under construction since 1995, replaces the state's 50-year-old radio system and should be completed in 2002 when towers for the Upper Peninsula are constructed. The 56 users of MPSCS currently include the Michigan State Police and local police and sheriffs' departments. The March 2 press release on MPSCS is at: http://www.msp.state.mi.us/news/news.html
Source: “Police emergency system now reaches across Lower Peninsula” by John Flesher; Associated Press State & Local Wire, March 2, 2000
