IMPROVING THE USE OF SQUAD CAR COMPUTERS
Since the increasing amount of high-tech equipment in police vehicles has the potential to distract officers’ while driving, many departments are installing voice activated computers to improve safety. The Winter Springs, Fla. Police Department and Winter Garden, Fla. Police Department have purchased software that reads aloud the result of criminal database searches, while similar software exists that offers voice activated commands for computers.
Source: "New Gear Keeps Cops' Eyes on Road" by Gary Taylor; Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel, 28 Nov. 2004: B3
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS IN BALTIMORE
The network of 24-hour surveillance cameras currently monitoring the Inner Harbor section of Baltimore, Md., is being expanded to cover additional high crime areas, thanks to an $800,000 federal grant. The goal of the regional homeland security initiative announced in June was to create a camera network spanning five counties, from the Inner Harbor to the Bay Bridge, one of the most extensive surveillance systems undertaken in the nation.
Source: "Camera system expands in city; Three high-crime areas and Canton to be added" by Doug Donovan; The Baltimore Sun, 2 Dec. 2004: 1B
DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS DATA SHARING SYSTEM
Dallas County, Texas, has unveiled its $9 million Adult Information System (AIS), a law enforcement information sharing database of more than 500,000 adult profiles, designed to improve cooperation among the county's 65 law enforcement agencies. Additional counties plan to connect to the system, which piggybacks onto an existing $8 million countywide system launched in 2001 to handle information about juvenile offenders.
Source: "Law officers gain means to share the facts, fast Dallas County expects data system to boost interagency cooperation" by James M. O'Neill; The Dallas Morning News, 1 Dec. 2004: Pg. 8B
RED LIGHT CAMERAS IN ALBUQUERQUE
Red light cameras installed by the Albuquerque, N.M. Police Department on Oct. 18 have photographed more than 2,200 violators since then, a much higher total than was expected. Police hope to start issuing citations after the 90 day pilot period ends in mid-January.
Source: "2,200 Viewed Running Lights" by Jeff Proctor; Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal, 1 Dec. 2004: A1
SECRET SERVICE OPENS UP DATABASE TO STATES
To combat the use of fake IDs by terrorists and other criminals, the U.S. Secret Service plans to open up its comparative image database of 100,000 fake and genuine credit cards and licenses to law enforcement agencies nationwide. The Secret Service and 19 other federal agencies and 70 vendors have formed the Document Security Alliance to police how driver's licenses are produced and issued nationwide.
Source: "Insecure credentials worry states, feds" by Susan M. Menke; Government Computer News, 3 Dec. 2004, online at
http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/28029-1.html
MAINE TERROR TASK FORCE GETS LOCAL STAFFING
Maine's Joint Terrorism Task Force, announced by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in August and thus far composed of FBI agents, has received staffing commitments from the Portland Police Department and Maine State Police. The new members of the task not only bring their institutional knowledge but also access to local law enforcement databases and other specialized resources.
Source: "Police commit staff to Maine terrorism task force; Portland police and state police expand the task force and its role," by David Hench; Portland Press Herald (Maine), 29 Nov. 2004: A1
