CENTER FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE TECHNOLOGY
WEEKLY NEWS: Covering Law Enforcement, Corrections
& Courts across the United States
| Vol. 3 #13 June 21, 1999 | |
#1 Plymouth (IN) Police receive grants for laptops
#2 Fulton County (GA) Police receive grant for laptops
#3 Boston (MA) Police use of DNA and fingerprint databases
#4 Johnsburg (IL) Police get grant for technology upgrades
#5 Cayce (SC) Police use of computer crime analysis
#6 Iowa Court Information System increases fine collection
#7 New Jersey courts use of technology
#8 West Virginia
to get jail management system
LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
[Source: "Police obtain car computer grants" by Liz Foran; South Bend
(IN) Tribune, June 16, 1999]
Item #2 FULTON COUNTY (GA) POLICE RECEIVE GRANT FOR LAPTOPS
The Fulton County (GA) Police Department is outfitting all 300 of its officers and their supervisors with IBM Thinkpad laptop computers through a COPS MORE grant. Officers will receive eight hours of training in using the computers as well as the software developed in-house to simplify report generation. In the future the laptops will be used to run license plate checks, and will have GPS capability to allow squad cars to be tracked.
[Source: "Laptops Replacing Paperwork for Police Officers" by Jack Warner;
Atlanta (GA) Journal-Constitution, June 17, 1999, Pg. JH1]
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Item #3 BOSTON (MA) POLICE USE OF DNA AND FINGERPRINT DATABASES
Boston (MA) Police have increased their use of DNA testing to match crime scene samples against criminals profiled in the Combined DNA Identification System (CODIS) and hits should become more common now that the Massachusetts State Police have their own lab to speed up compilation of the state database. In addition, Boston police are now hooked up to the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) .
[Source: "Criminals Can Run, Not Hide From DNA" by John F. Lauerman; Boston (MA) Globe, June 14, 1999, Pg. C1]
Item #4 JOHNSBURG (IL) POLICE
GET GRANT FOR TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES
The Johnsburg (IL) Police
Department was recently awarded a $24,000 state public safety grant
to upgrade its squad car computers and headquarters' hardware and software.
One capability of the new system will permit digital images to be incorporated
into electronic versions of reports.
[Source: "Police Department to Upgrade its Computer System" by Barbara Church; Chicago Tribune (McHenry county edition) June 17, 1999]
Item #5 CAYCE (SC) POLICE USE
OF COMPUTER CRIME ANALYSIS
The Cayce (SC)
Department of Public Safety was recently honored by the South Carolina
Association of Crime Prevention Officers for its innovative use of crime
computer statistics to improve community policing. The department distributes
crime reports to businesses and apartment building managers in neighborhoods
with high crime rates to increase public awareness, and assigns officers
to patrol areas with the highest concentration of incidents.
[Source: "Police Use New Report Method; Computer-Aided Crime Program Wins State Award" by John Allard; The State (Columbia, SC) June 17, 1999, Pg. 1]
COURT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Item #6 IOWA COURT INFORMATION SYSTEM INCREASES FINE COLLECTION
The Iowa Judicial Branch has seen a 12% increase over 1998 in payments of fines from traffic and other violations, and the millions of extra dollars are being attributed to technology improvements. The Iowa Court Information System now links all 99 counties in the state, and scofflaws are being better tracked down through links to state transportation and taxation computer systems.
[Source: "Fines paid to the state increase" by Frank Santiago; Des Moines (IA) Register, June 3, 1999]
Item # 7 NEW JERSEY COURTS USE OF TECHNOLOGY
The New Jersey Court System has increased its use of conference calling during preliminary court hearings in civil cases because advanced telephone equipment has been placed in over 100 courtrooms and judges' chambers through a statewide contract. The use of videoconferencing has also increased as courts and attorneys look for ways to speed up hearings, optimize their time, and reduce transportation costs of defendants and witnesses.
[Source: "New System Speeding Up Courtroom Procedures" by Jennifer Van Doren; The Record (Northern New Jersey) June 1, 1999, Pg. B1]
CORRECTIONS TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Item #8 WEST VIRGINIA TO
GET JAIL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The Regional Jail & Correctional Facility Authority of the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety plans to implement a new jail management system over the next few years. The new computer system will use barcode bracelets to track inmates, and will share inmate records between correctional facilities, police and the courts. The first facility to go online will be the new St. Marys Correctional Center.
[Source: "New system helps keep inmates behind bar codes" by Karin Fischer;
Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, June 9, 1999, Pg. 1A]
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CJITI Weekly News is compiled by Jeffrey Michaels jeffreym@mitretek.org