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

Vol. 3 #2 March 29, 1999

 

Police in Addison, Illinois are purchasing 25 Panasonic laptop computers for squad cars to make the department Y2K-compliant and upgrade communications. The department will spend $250,000 for the laptops, modems and other equipment needed to bring the new communications network online.

[Source: "Addison police solve Y2K case with new laptops" by S.A. Mawhorr; Chicago Daily Herald, March 18, 1999]
 

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Item #2  GEORGIA DNA DATABASE SOLVES 1993 RAPE 

The Forensics Division of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation recently matched a DNA sample from an unsolved 1993 rape to that of a convicted rapist already serving a life sentence in a Georgia prison. This is the first case that will be prosecuted using evidence from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's DNA database of convicted sex offenders.

[Source: "Using DNA Data, Police Charge Imprisoned Rapist in '93 Assault" by Brad Schrade; Atlanta Constitution, March 17, 1999, Pg. A1]

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Item #3 BLAINE COUNTY (OK) SEXUAL PREDATOR PAGE

The Blaine County (OK) Sheriff's Office has posted a list of convicted sexual offenders living in the county. The Blaine County Sexual Predator Page was created by an unpaid reserve officer as a public awareness tool.

[Source: "Sex Offenders Listed Online in Blaine County" by Michael McNutt; Daily Oklahoman, March 19, 1999]

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Item #4 KANSAS BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION'S SECURE VPN

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is using a virtual private network (VPN) to share information with 250 police departments across the state, and will be connected to 750 departments by the end of the year. The VPN is Internet-based, uses a firewall for security, and is the first statewide VPN in the United States.

[Source: "A Virtual Private Network Lets Kansas Law Enforcement Agents Swap Secure Case Files" by Paul Korzeniowski; civic.com, March 1999, Pg. 24 ]

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Item #5 WORCESTER (MA) PROSTITUTION REDUCTION WEB PAGE

Worcester, Massachusetts Police are posting photos, names and addresses of people arrested for selling or soliciting "sex for a fee."  The Prostitution Reduction Program is designed as a public awareness tool and to get people to alert the police about such illegal activities in their neighborhoods.

[Source: "Prostitution offenders' IDs on Web" by Linda Bock and Lee Hammel; (Worcester, MA) Telegram & Gazette, March 20, 1999]

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Item #6 STATE COLLEGE (PA) POLICE USE GPS TO MONITOR SUSPECT

Police in State College, Pennsylvania recently used a GPS tracking device attached to an arson suspect's automobile to track his movements. Police obtained a warrant to use the $2,400 GPS system, which it borrowed from a local private investigation firm, and subsequently gathered enough evidence to arrest the suspect.

[Source: "GPS Technology Used to nab Suspect" by the Associated Press; New York Times, March 15, 1999]

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COURT TECHNOLOGY NEWS

 
Item # 7  SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CA) COURT GOES ONLINE

The Sacramento County (CA) court system will soon allow Internet access to its criminal, civil, probate and family records. About 288,000 cases are filed each year in the Sacramento Superior Court.

[Source: "County's Court System Putting Records Online" by Ramon Coronado; Sacramento (CA) Bee, March 23, 1999, Pg. A1]

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CORRECTIONS TECHNOLOGY NEWS

 
Item #8  BUCKS COUNTY (PA) PRISON TO BE Y2K-COMPLIANT

Bucks County (PA) Commissioners plan to spend $1 million to upgrade security at the county prison and make its systems Y2K-compliant. The 15-year old facility has always had state-of-the-art technology, and officials hope to keep it that way.

[Source: "Bucks County to Spend $1 Million to Upgrade Security at its Prison" by Hal Marcovitz; The (Allentown, PA) Morning Call, March 18, 1999]

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