Waupun, Wisconsin Police Get Squad Car Computers
The Waupun, Wis. Police Department has installed computers, at a cost of $8,000 each, in five squad cars, allowing officers to run license plates and criminal histories, connect to state and federal records systems and access the Fond du Lac County records management system from their vehicles. The computers will also allow officers to communicate by silent dispatch.
Source: Peggy Breister, “Mobile data terminals added to Waupun Police Department,” The Reporter (Fond du Lac, WI), 24 Jan. 2005: 4A
Reporting Aggressive Drivers to Washington State Patrol
In order to get help from the public to catch reckless drivers, the Washington State Patrol has added an Aggressive Driving Problem Area Report Form on its Web site. The information generated by the site will result in increased enforcement in problem areas and contact with repeat offenders.
Source: Charisse Jones, “Web sites let drivers flag road ragers,” USA Today, 18 Jan. 2005: 3A
California Pawn Database
All of Los Angeles' 95 pawnshops transmit transactions via computer disks sent to LAPD local stations for entry in a statewide database required by a 2001 state law. Thumbprints taken from all sellers proved to be valuable after the Dec. 13 arrests of two men accused of burglarizing the apartment of an attorney 11 days earlier.
Source: Andrew Wang, “Pawnshops Lend Hand in Tracking Stolen Goods; L.A. brokers are entering pawned items into a city database, where police can check them against items taken in burglaries,” Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2005: B2
CapWIN Helps D.C. First Responders
Metropolitan Washington’s Capital Wireless Integrated Network (CapWIN) for first responders, under development since 2002, now has 425 active users at 23 federal, state and local agencies. Police, firefighters, and transportation and medical workers can keep up with homeland security and emergency situations around the metro area by logging in from secure virtual private network clients on their PCs, personal digital assistants, wireless phones and police radios.
Source: Susan M Menke, “CapWIN public-safety network plans new services, fees,” Government Computer News, 27 Jan. 2005
CODIS Helps Solve Crimes in Utah
Under Utah law, every person convicted of a felony and those convicted of some class A misdemeanors are required to give a DNA sample for entry into the FBI Laboratory's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). To date, the database has had a direct impact on 23 unsolved cases in Utah.
Source: Jennifer Dobner, “Utah's DNA database is helping police solve crimes,” Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, Utah), 30 Jan. 2005
Virginia Gardens, Florida Police Get Squad Car Laptops
Police officers in Virginia Gardens, Florida are now equipped with laptop computers that will enable them to write and file reports and run checks on people and vehicles while on patrol. The village's laptops are hooked into the South Miami Police Department network.
Source: Brenda Adrianzen, “Officers regain mobile technology; Virginia Gardens police again are using laptop computers while on patrol, making it easier for them to file reports,” The Miami (Fla.) Herald, 30 Jan. 2005
AFIS Helps Border Patrol Catch Wanted Sex Felon
A Mexican man charged in Colorado with sexual assault on a child was caught by U.S. Border Patrol agents on the Arizona border. The felony warrant was discovered while the immigrants were processed using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System.
Source: Sheryl Kornman, “Migrant facing child-sex charge caught; The man is awaiting extradition to Colorado after being nabbed near Ariz.-Mexico line,“ Tucson (Ariz.) Citizen, 19 Jan. 2005: 6A
