DNA COLD HIT ON 1999 LOUISIANA MURDER
The Shreveport, La. Police Department recently announced a DNA cold hit for the March 15, 1999 murder of a 66-year-old man in his home. The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) match, one of the first in the Shreveport area, identified a man with 30 prior arrests and 11 convictions.
Source: “National DNA database cracks local cold case; Homicide suspect has 30 prior arrests and 11 convictions” by Loresha Wilson; The Shreveport (La.) Times, 31 July 2004: 1
SANGAMON COUNTY, ILL. GETS TECHNOLOGY GRANT
The Sangamon County, Ill. Sheriff's Office and 21 other local police agencies are sharing a $672,000 grant to buy 64 squad cars laptop computers that will allow officers to prepare reports and run license plate checks from their vehicles. The Sheriff’s Office estimates the computers will keep officers on patrol an extra 32,000 hours per year.
Source: “Sheriff's office, police agencies share grant; Money will buy laptop computers for squad cars” by Jason Piscia; The State Journal-Register (Springfield, Ill.), 3 Aug. 2004: 10
LEHIGH COUNTY, PA. GETS GRANT TO LINK TO JNET
14 police departments in Lehigh County, Pa. plan to use a $69,300 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to link to the Pennsylvania Justice Network (JNET). The statewide crime database, launched in 1998 in several Pennsylvania counties, connects police to court records, probation and parole records, and state police files. Participating departments include Allentown, Alburtis, Catasauqua, Coopersburg, Coplay, Emmaus, Fountain Hill, Macungie, Slatington, Salisbury, and the townships of South Whitehall, Upper Saucon, Whitehall and the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority.
Source: “Grant to link police to crime database; Lehigh County officials plan to tie system to national records bank” by Dan Hartzell; The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.), 12 Aug. 2004: B1
LIVERMORE, CALIF. POLICE TEAMING ON SENSOR SYSTEM
The Livermore, Calif. Police Department has teamed with researchers at Sandia National Laboratories to develop a network of portable biological and chemical sensors and high-resolution video cameras that can act as an early warning of a terrorist attack. The sensor network was tested at a Fourth of July event, successfully connecting the system to the police command center.
Source: "Sandia, Livermore police allies in war against terror; High-tech sensory detection system being developed, tested;" The Daily Review (Hayward, Calif.), 5 Aug. 2004
MINNESOTA POLICE TESTING IBIS READERS
The Eagan (Minn.) Police Department is one of about 20 Minneapolis-area departments testing a handheld device that scans a suspect's fingerprints and checks them against state criminal records without having to bring the individual to the station for printing. The Integrated Biometric Identification System (IBIS) pilot program, funded by a multimillion dollar National Institute of Justice grant, has helped drop the cost of each IBIS unit from $14,000 to $4,500.
Source: "Police Test New ID Gadget; Device Scans Fingerprints, Checks Criminal History" by Shannon Prather; St. Paul Pioneer Press, 16 August 2004: B1
WISCONSIN HOLDS MULTI-COUNTY EMERGENCY DRILL
"Operation Heartland Defense," a simulated train derailment and anhydrous ammonia spill statewide training exercise held in West Salem, Wis. on Aug. 11, involved more than 600 people from 10 fire departments, six emergency management agencies, 11 law enforcement agencies, nine public health agencies, 10 emergency medical service agencies, 10 hospitals, nine public agencies, seven private organizations and nine Department of Defense organizations. The La Crosse County Office of Emergency Management plans to review lessons learned from the drill, which was deemed a success, and share them with participants.
Source: “Operation Heartland Defense declared a success” by Dan Springer; La Crosse (Wis.) Tribune, 9 Aug. 2004
