D.C. Police Use Photo Radar and Red Light Cameras
Washington, D.C. police have issued more than 1.2 million tickets and collected $68 million in fines since implementing a photo radar program in 2001, and have generated more than 500,000 tickets and $29.8 million in fines since Automated Red-Light Enforcement began in 1999. Although law enforcement officials note a decrease in accidents since the cameras were adopted, the D.C. Council is preparing to revisit the contentious issue of automated traffic enforcement at a Feb 23 hearing.
Source: Del Quentin Wilber, “D.C. Police Plan More Speed Cameras; Photo Radar Devices Generated Record $24 Million in Fines Last Year,” The Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2005: B1
DNA Cold Hits Solve St. Petersburg, Fla. Sexual Assaults
Thanks to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) DNA Investigative Support Database and the work of St. Petersburg detectives, a prison inmate has been charged with three sexual assaults in that city. One day before he was to be released from prison, a convict serving three years for cocaine convictions in Hillsborough County was charged with three counts of sexual battery and one count of armed burglary for the crimes, two of which occurred in 1988 and one in 2001.
Source: Stephen Thompson, “About-To-Be-Sprung Inmate Linked To 3 Rapes; DNA Match Prompts Additional Charges,” Tampa (Fla.) Tribune, 19 Feb. 2005
Chattanooga, Tenn. Police Get Ballistics Fingerprinting Gear
The Chattanooga, Tenn. Police Department will soon be able to trace bullets using equipment supplied through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network Program. About 180 agencies currently participate in the program, through which the ATF provides $20,000 worth of gun and bullet testing equipment.
Source: Candice Combs, “Police to use in-car digital cameras, in-house ballistics,” Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press, 20 Feb. 2005: B6
Virginia to Upgrade First Responder Radio Systems
On Feb. 23, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner announced plans to distribute $2.16 million in federal homeland security funds to 27 localities to be used to improve first responder communications interoperability. The funding, which will be distributed in about two weeks, was awarded by the Office for Domestic Preparedness and the National Institute of Justice.
Source: “Warner Announces Grants to Upgrade Virginia’s First Responder Radio Systems,” Government Technology, 24 Feb. 2005, online at: http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=93158
Integrated Criminal Justice Planning Council Formed in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has issued an executive order that forms an Integrated Criminal Justice Planning Council to develop a comprehensive plan for the electronic exchange of information in order to improve homeland security and crime fighting. The council will meet at least once a month and submit a strategic plan within six months that improves law enforcement information sharing statewide.
Source: "To Cut Crime, Mass. Makes it Easier to Share Criminal Justice Info," Commonwealth of Massachusetts press release, 15 Feb. 2005, online at http://www.mass.gov/portal/govPR.jsp?gov_pr=gov_pr_050215_ITDExecutive_order.xml
NGA Survey Says States Still Working on Communications Interoperability
A new survey released by the National Governors Association's (NGA) Center for Best Practices indicates that significant challenges remain for states to achieve communications interoperability and to develop centers to collect, analyze and share intelligence data among the 55 U.S. state and territorial governments. About 73 percent of state officials are still working on statewide interoperability while 22 percent have achieved it, according to the report titled "Homeland Security in the States: Much Progress, More Work."
Source: Dibya Sarkar, “States still working on communications,” Federal Computer Week, 18 Feb. 2005, online at http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2005/0214/web-nga-02-18-05.asp
