PINELLAS COUNTY, FLA. USE OF FACIAL RECOGNITION
The Pinellas County, Fla. Sheriff's Office made its first arrest using the computerized facial recognition system installed in its patrol cars two months ago, nabbing a woman using an alias who was wanted for violating probation on prostitution and cocaine possession charges. During a traffic stop or other investigation, deputies can take a photo, download it, and then check it against faces of wanted suspects in federal and state law enforcement databases.
Source: "Computer puts a name with fugitive's face" by Leanora Minai; St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times, 14 Sept. 2004: 1B
MBTA POLICE USE AFIS TO ARREST SUSPECT IN 1974 MURDER
A man wanted for allegedly murdering a Baltimore Police Department employee over a can of Spam on Christmas Eve 1974 was recently arrested thanks to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Police Department's use of its Automated Fingerprint identification system. The 57-year-old man now awaiting extradition back to Baltimore has used at least 10 different identities over the years, but prints taken during a recent booking for a knife attack on an MBTA bus pulled up the outstanding warrant.
Source: "T cops nab Baltimore fugitive; Suspect in bus incident wanted for 1974 murder" by Laurel J. Sweet; The Boston (Mass.) Herald, 10 Sept.. 2004
COLUMBUS, OHIO POLICE GET FINGERPRINT READERS
The Columbus, Ohio, Police Department plans to use a $750,000 federal grant to purchase 80 fingerprint identification devices for cruisers and additional locations. Thirty of the devices, which also read palm prints, will be distributed to other local law enforcement agencies in Franklin County for installation by March 2005.
Source: "Palm-Print Readers; Police Cars to Get New Equipment;" Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 4 Sept. 2004: 6B
MERRIMACK, N.H. POLICE UPGRADE COMPUTERS
The Merrimack, N.H., Police Department won approval by the town’s selectmen to spend $46,405 from the town's computer reserve fund to purchase mobile computers for the department's seven squad cars. Officers will use the computers to prepare reports and run their own license plate checks, keeping them on the road more hours during their shifts.
Source: "Merrimack to update police computers" by Dan McLean; The Union Leader (Manchester, N.H.), 9 Sept. 2004: B2
GOOSE CREEK, S.C. POLICE USE AFIS TO ARREST N.Y. FUGITIVE
The Goose Creek, S.C. Police Department used its new Live Scan fingerprint ID equipment, purchased with a federal grant, to identify a man wanted for over nine years by New York authorities for a probation violation on an original charge of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property. Goose Creek Police hope to expand the Live Scan system, eventually equipping patrol cars with thumbprint scanners.
Source: "Fingerprinting goes high-tech; Law enforcement agencies give more efficient ID system thumbs-up" by Nita Birmingham; The Post and Courier Staff (Charleston, S.C.), 29 Aug. 2004: 1B
DELAWARE CYBERCOPS IN ACTION
More than half of the cases dealt with by the Delaware State Police High Technology Crimes Unit, set up in 2001 and currently employing five officers, involve child pornography.The investigative work of the cybercops - including examining hard drives and other devices such as cell phones and personal digital assistants - has helped convict numerous people, with 85 percent of cases settled with a plea bargain since the evidence is so solid.
Source: "Cybercops on lookout for crimes on the Web; Safeguarding kids is state police unit's priority" by Esteban Parra; The News Journal (Wilmington, DE), 30 Aug. 2004: A12
ANCHORAGE POLICE USE DNA TO SOLVE COLD CASES
The Anchorage, Alaska Police Department credits DNA technology, the state DNA database and the national CODIS system for linking three rape cases and identifying a suspect in the crimes. The cases solved took place in downtown Anchorage in 1999 and 2003, with additional unsolved cases expected to be linked to the same suspect.
Source: "DNA ties Valley man to 3 rapes since 1999" by Sheila Toomey; Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sept. 2004: A1
OHIO SUPREME COURT POSTS LAWYER INFO ONLINE
The Ohio Supreme Court has posted information about the state's 35,000 licensed lawyers on its Web site, allowing them to be searched by name, geographic location or registration number. Although the database includes sanctions for disciplinary violations, it does not cover pending actions against a lawyer or any malpractice information.
Source: "Supreme Court Web Site Offers Data on Lawyers," The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 7 Sept. 2004: 4B
