CJITI WEEKLY NEWS: Covering
Law Enforcement, Corrections & Courts across the United States
| Vol. 2 #48 March 15, 1999 |
#1 Second arrest due to Virginia Sex Offender web site
#2 Carroll County (MD) Child Abuse Sexual unit gets new computers
#3 Libertyville (IL) police to get squad car laptops
#4 Mandan (ND) police catch hackers
#5 Long Beach (CA) police get grant for records management
#6 Council Bluffs (IA) police to get squad car laptops
#7 South Carolina Integrated Interagency Criminal Justice System
#8 New York Department of Correctional Services web site
LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
An employee at the Marsteller Middle School in Manassas, Virginia was suspicious of a man hanging around children at the school and after discovering him on the Virginia State Police Sex Offender Registry reported his actions to police. The man had been ordered to stay away from children as part of his probation, and is now being held without bond at a local jail.
[Source: "Sex Offender on probation Caught Near Va. School" by Leef Smith; The Washington Post, March 10, 1999, Pg. B5]
Item #2 CARROLL COUNTY (MD) CHILD ABUSE SEXUAL UNIT GETS NEW COMPUTERS
The Carroll County (MD) Child Abuse Sexual Assault unit --known by its acronym CASA--recently added three computers that will offer Internet access and direct access to other law enforcement agencies. Officers will also use the new computers for writing reports.
[Source: "Police, prosecutors say new computers will aid in battle against child abuse; Carroll Co. officials say machines will speed effort" by Mike Farabaugh; The Baltimore Sun (Anne Arundel County edition) March 10, 1999, Pg. 6B]
Item #3 LIBERTYVILLE (IL) POLICE TO GET SQUAD CAR LAPTOPS
The Libertyville (IL) Village Board recently approved $22,077 in funding that will allow its police department to purchase three Motorola laptop computers and modems. The new computers will be placed in squad cars and be used by officers for writing reports and wireless communications.
[Source: "Trustees OK purchase of 3 laptops for police department;" Chicago Daily Herald, February 26, 1999]
Item #4 MANDAN (ND) POLICE CATCH HACKERS
Mandan, North Dakota police recently discovered a hacker from Louisiana trying to access department computers and plan to prosecute the man. The department also has caught several local teenagers trying to hack their way into systems over the last few months.
[Source: "Mandan Police Foil Computer Hackers" by Associated Press; Grand Forks (ND) Herald, March 8, 1999, Pg. 6]
Item #5 LONG BEACH (CA) POLICE GET GRANT FOR RECORDS MANAGEMENT
The Long Beach (CA) Police Department recently received an almost $6.8 million COPS MORE grant for an upgraded records management system. The department was unable to match the necessary 25% of the grant and was able to get the Department of Justice to reduce the matching portion to 10%.
[Source: "LBPD Gets $6.8 Million Grant Upgrade; Federal Funds to be Used to Improve Department's Computerized Records System" by Helen Guthrie Smith; Long Beach (CA) Press-Telegram, March 9, 1999, Pg. A3]
Item #6 COUNCIL BLUFFS (IA) POLICE TO GET SQUAD CAR LAPTOPS
Council Bluffs, Iowa police are purchasing ten laptop computers and wireless modems for its cruisers, and will use the new equipment for accessing state and federal crime databases. The department will pay for half of the $145,000 cost, and the remainder will be funded through a grant from the Iowa West Foundation.
[Source: "Bluffs Adds Cruiser Computers" by Gary Newman; Omaha (NE) World-Herald, March 05, 1999, Pg. 13]
COURT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Item # 7 SOUTH CAROLINA INTEGRATED
INTERAGENCY CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
The Advanced Solutions Group of the University of South Carolina is integrating files from various court and law enforcement agencies into the South Carolina Integrated Interagency Criminal Justice System. The project received $400,000 in federal funds and $133,333 in state funds last year, and will make accessing accurate and complete criminal records much easier once it is completed.
[Source: "Project Collects Records; University Designed Program to Encompass
Court, Jail, Driver's License Data for Law Enforcement's Use" by Associated
Press; Augusta (GA) Chronicle (Carolina edition) March 7, 1999, Pg. C2]
CORRECTIONS TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Item #8 NEW YORK DEPARTMENT
OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES WEB SITE
The New York State Department of Correctional Services web site has been very popular since it came online in January, with almost 3,000 hits per hour recently. The department deals with approximately 70,000 inmates held at 69 state correctional facilities, and the web site allows inmate status to be searched.
[Source: "Requests for Info on Inmates Hard for Web Site to Handle" by Associated Press; Times Union (Albany, NY) February 26, 1999, Pg. B6]
CJITI Weekly News is compiled by Jeffrey Michaels jeffreym@mitretek.org