CODIS AIDS 12,200 INVESTIGATIONS NATIONWIDE
According to FBI statistics compiled through February, more than 1.6 million DNA profiles have been entered into the FBI Laboratory's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) nationwide since October 1998, producing more than 11,000 hits and assisting in more than 12,200 investigations. In Texas, CODIS has aided 565 investigations, with 245 cold hits on unsolved cases.
Source: “Grant for database has aided the police” by Deanne Boyd; Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 March 2004: B1
HOWARD COUNTY (MD) RED LIGHT CAMERAS
Six years ago, the Howard County, Md., Police Department became the first law enforcement agency in the state to use film-based red light cameras. Now the department is leading a regional effort to upgrade about 100 cameras in southern Maryland with digital equipment that offers better image quality and more efficient processing of citations.
Source: “Film is out, but digital red-light cameras are in; County police first in Md. to install new technology” by Gus G. Sentementes; The Baltimore Sun, 12 March 2004: B1
DIGITAL BOOKING FOR WAYNE COUNTY (MI) SHERIFF
The Wayne County, Mich., Sheriff's Department plans to purchase a digital booking station to improve processing the 40,000 inmates handled by the jail each year. The new database of booking photos and fingerprints, replacing a paper-based system, will be searchable by detectives from local police departments and will enable crime victims to view digital lineups of suspects.
Sources: “Sheriff's booking setup to go digital; Extensive criminal database to follow” by Karen Bouffard; The Detroit News, 5 March 2004: D3
SOUTH BEND (IN) POLICE GET WMD TRAINING
South Bend, Ind., Police officers are being trained by the city fire department in the basics of chemical and biological defense as part of a countywide emergency preparedness program. Overtime pay for officers to attend training sessions is being provided by grants from the state's Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice, which are also funding the purchase of personal protective suits, respirators, and chemical decontamination equipment.
Source: “Detailed training sessions prepare police; Officers learn about WMD, hazardous material risks and responses” by Patrick M. O'Connell; South Bend (IN) Tribune, 13 March 2004: A6
WEST CHICAGO (IL) POLICE TO GET CRUISER LAPTOPS
The West Chicago Police Department plans to outfit 21 cruisers with new laptops and wireless modems using $142,000 in funds unanimously approved by the City Council. The computers will replace mobile data terminals bought seven years ago, and will enable officers to prepare reports in their vehicles and access local and national criminal records databases.
Source: “Police cars will get new terminals; West Chicago OKs adding technology” by Gary Gibula; Chicago Tribune, 3 March 2004
FIRST RESPONDER INTEROPERABILITY STANDARDS
To improve communications interoperability among state and local first responders, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to require communities seeking grants for such hardware to adhere to specific technical standards and protocols. The announcement was made by DHS Chief Information Officer Steven I. Cooper at the two-day DHS Industry Forum in Washington, D.C., on March 8 and 9.
Source: "DHS will tie new grants to interoperability standards" by William Welsh; Government Computer News, 9 March 2004
