CJITI WEEKLY NEWS: Covering Law Enforcement, Corrections & Courts across the United States
 

Vol. 3 #11 May 31/June 7, 1999

 

The Ada County (ID) Sheriff's Department has set up an "Information for Parents & Children web site to cover topics such as school violence and bicycle and firearms safety. The section was put together by the department's Juvenile Detective section so answers to common questions are now available for families at all hours of the day.

[Source: "Sheriff's Department unveils kids' Web site; Topics include bicycle safety, drugs, gangs" by Kathleen Mortensen; Idaho Statesman May 25, 1999]
 
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Item #2 PEMBROKE PINES (FL) POLICE GET AFIS WORKSTATION

The Pembroke Pines (FL) Police Department will soon have its own automated fingerprinting workstation after signing a $130,000 contract with Printrak International. Police will use the AFIS system to match fingerprints collected at crime scenes and to check fingerprint records when booking suspects. 

[Source: "Database Should Finger Suspects Faster" by Hannah Sampson; Miami (FL) Herald (Broward edition) May 23, 1999, Pg. 1PI]

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Item #3 BATAVIA (IL) POLICE RECEIVE GRANT FOR DIGITAL IMAGING
 
The Batavia (IL) Police Department was recently awarded a $19,662 COPS MORE grant to purchase a digital photography system to upgrade its imaging capability. The new system will allow digital photos of crime scenes and suspects to be displayed on all networked workstations in the department.

[Source: "Smile for the better camera: Police mug shots go digital" by Terri Tabor; Chicago (IL) Daily Herald, May 23, 1999]

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Item #4 MAINE'S JUSTICE ASSISTANCE COUNCIL GETS $3.2 MILLION COPS MORE GRANT

The Maine Department of Public Safety Justice Assistance Council was recently awarded $3.2 million in COPS MORE grant funds to distribute for state and local crime fighting initiatives. The JAC will offer grants to departments across the state, including some for upgrading criminal justice information systems. The Department of Justice contact list of State Offices Administering the Edward Byrne Memorial State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance Formula Grant Programs is at  http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/html/stlist.htm .

[Source: "Maine to get $3.5 million in grants to combat crime, violence;" Bangor (ME) Daily News, May 31, 1999]

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Item #5 COBB COUNTY (GA) POLICE USE AFIS TO SOLVE 1992 ARMED ROBBERY

Cobb County (GA) Police used the state's Automated Fingerprint Identification System to match prints left on a bag of potato chips during a 1992 armed robbery against a suspect recently added to the state's print database. The suspect was currently serving time at a correctional facility, and has now been charged in the robbery.

[Source: "Cops Solve '92 Theft via Prints on the Bag" by Will Anderson; Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution, May 22, 1999, Pg. G4]

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Item #6 MISSOURI POLICE IT HEAD NAMED TO FEDERAL INTEROPERABILITY COMMISSION

Gerald E. Wethington, who heads the Information Services division of the Missouri State Highway Patrol , was recently appointed by Janet Reno to be a representative on the Global Criminal Justice Information Network, a commission established to improve law enforcement communications and interoperability as part of the ACCESS America initiative. Wethington will represent the National Association of State Information Resource Executives (NASIRE) , for whom he has headed a task force on criminal justice information architecture.

[Source: "Missouri Police CIO to Spearhead State Issues on Presidential Criminal Justice Network Commission" by Meg Misenti ; civic.com News Feed, June 1, 1999]

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COURT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 

Item # 7  SARASOTA COUNTY (FL) COURT GETS NEW CJIS
 
The Sarasota County (FL) Clerk of the Circuit Court will soon have a new Criminal Justice Information System online to connect the sheriff, state attorney and public defender. The CJIS will allow documents to be filed online, and will eventually be searchable by the public.

[Source: "Court clerk's office upgrades; A new Criminal Justice Information System is in the process of being installed" by Laura Higgins; Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune, May 15, 1999, Pg. 1B]

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CORRECTIONS TECHNOLOGY NEWS

 
Item #8  MASSACHUSETTS OPENS DNA TESTING LAB FOR CONVICT DATABASE

The Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory has opened a new facility in Sudbury, which will begin testing DNA samples from crime scenes. The state will also compile a database of DNA samples from convicts sentenced for 33 categories of violent and sexual crimes.

[Source: "New DNA Lab May Uncover Answers" by Diana Brown; Boston Globe, May 16, 1999, Northwest Weekly Pg. 10]

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CJITI Weekly News is compiled by Jeffrey Michaels jeffreym@mitretek.org