CENTER FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE TECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH WEEKLY NEWS: Covering Law Enforcement, Corrections
& Courts across the United States
| Vol. 3 #19 August 16, 1999 |
#1 Seminole County (FL) Sheriff's web site
#2 New York State to increase sampling for DNA database
#3 South Miami (FL) Police to get squad car laptops
#4 High Point (NC) Police to equip all squad cars with laptops by 2001
#5 FBI's DNA database links rapes in D.C. and Florida
#6 Norman (OK) Police to get new AFIS system
#7 Federal court records to go online
#8 Nevada law enforcement uses AFIS to find prison escapee
LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY
NEWS
The Seminole County (Florida) Sheriff's Department has placed a questionnaire on its web site asking residents how it can improve its services. The site also includes community policing information such as a list of local registered sexual offenders. In addition, more than 700 residents have subscribed to the department's E-LERT service, which provides e-mail alerts when the web site is updated.
[Source: "Residents Can Voice Opinions of Sheriff's Office on the Web" by Doris Bloodsworth; The Orlando (FL) Sentinel, August 8, 1999, Pg. K1]
Item #2 NEW YORK STATE TO INCREASE SAMPLING FOR DNA DATABASE
Beginning December 1, New York will broaden its DNA sampling from 8% of its criminals to roughly 50%, adding an expanded list of felonies including robbery and kidnapping. The state's DNA database will eventually include samples from about 100,000 prisoners and parolees convicted of this longer list of felonies.
[Source: "Albany Plan Widely Expands Sampling of Criminals' DNA" by Richard Perez-Pena and Jayson Blair; The New York Times, August 7, 1999, Pg. A3]
Item #3 SOUTH MIAMI (FL) POLICE GETS GRANT FOR SQUAD CAR LAPTOPS
The South Miami (Florida) Police Department was recently awarded a $150,000 COPS MORE grant for squad car laptop computers. The city must still vote on whether it will match 20% of the amount as required by the grant. The department's 22 squad cars currently share dispatch air time with other local departments.
[Source: "Patrol Cars May Become High Tech" by Charles Rabin; Miami (FL) Herald, August 1, 1999, Pg. 7WE]
Item #4 HIGH POINT (NC) POLICE TO EQUIP ALL SQUAD CARS WITH LAPTOPS BY 2001
Among the recommendations in the three-year strategic plan recently released by the High Point (North Carolina) Police Department is equipping all cruisers with laptop computers by 2001. The department was recently awarded a grant to purchase 12-15 such computers, and will evaluate several types before purchasing an additional 125 laptop units over the next two years if funds are approved.
[Source: "High Point Police Present 3-Year Plan" by Michael Grossman; The (Greensboro, NC) News & Record, August 4, 1999, Pg. B2]
Item #5 FBI'S DNA DATABASE LINKS RAPES IN D.C. AND FLORIDA
The FBI's National DNA Index System (NDIS) was recently used to link nine sex crimes in Washington, D.C. and Jacksonville, Florida through a cold hit. A DNA sample could not be taken from the suspect in the Florida crimes because the police lacked probable cause, but after his murder a DNA sample was taken and found to match those from the Jacksonville crimes. The NDIS system subsequently matched the DNA to samples collected at the six D.C. rapes. Such matches will become more common as the NDIS system continues to add state records.
[Source: "DNA matches help FBI link nine sex crimes" by Shruti Date; Government Computer News, August 9, 1999 ]
Item #6 NORMAN (OK) POLICE TO GET AFIS SYSTEM
The Norman (Oklahoma) Police Department plans to purchase a new automated fingerprint identification system to put its 50,000 fingerprint records online. The City Council recently approved $34,000 for the purchase of the equipment.
[Source: "Council Buys Fingerprint System;" The Daily Oklahoman, August 13, 1999, Pg. 3]
COURT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Item # 7 FEDERAL COURT RECORDS TO GO ONLINE
The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts plans to have records of the nation's 94 federal district courts, 88 bankruptcy courts and 12 federal appellate courts on the Internet by the end of the year. Oklahoma residents can already view Bankruptcy Court records online using software available at the Bankruptcy Court Clerk's Office. Passwords will eventually be used to monitor use of the system, with a 7-cent charge for each page accessed.
[Source: "Federal courts tout new access for a new age" by David Harper; Tulsa (OK) World, August 6, 1999]
CORRECTIONS TECHNOLOGY
NEWS
Item #8 NEVADA LAW ENFORCEMENT
USES AFIS TO FIND PRISON ESCAPEE
Nevada law enforcement officials using automated fingerprinting equipment to search for an escaped prison inmate found him in a California prison under an assumed name serving seven years for auto theft and assault charges. The man, who escaped in 1987, had been serving a life sentence for sexual assault and a ten-year sentence for larceny and will now be returned to Nevada once his California time has been served.
[Source: "Escapee found in California prison gets three more years" by Ed Vogel; Las Vegas (NV) Review-Journal, August 6, 1999, Pg. B6]
Center for Criminal Justice Technology Research Weekly News is compiled by Jeffrey Michaels jeffreym@mitretek.org