CENTER FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH WEEKLY NEWS: Covering Law Enforcement, Corrections & Courts across the United States
 

Vol. 3 #29 November 1/8, 1999

The Randolph County (North Carolina) Sheriff's Department plans to spend $180,000 on new equipment, including 10 squad car laptops, using seized drug funds and other forfeitures. The computers will be the first for the department, and will allow deputies to perform records checks without the need for dispatchers.

[Source: "Deputies Tap Into Technology; The Randolph County Sheriff's Department and the State Highway Patrol Will Use Mobile Computers to Increase Safety and Reduce the Number of Delays" by Denise Becker; Greensboro (NC) News & Record (High Point/Randolph edition) October 17, 1999, Pg. R6]

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Item #2  JEFFERSON PARISH (LA) SHERIFF'S WEB SITE OFFERS "CRIME TRACKER"

The Jefferson Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff's Office web site offers a "JPSO Crime Tracker" that allows residents to search for local crime statistics by many categories of crimes, searchable by zip code and area civic association.  Online maps display where the selected crimes took place in the chosen geographical area. Under a separate technology initiative, the JSPO recently purchased 325 squad car laptops for its deputies using a COPS MORE grant.

[Source: "Residents Can Track Crime On Web; Plug in Your Zip Code, Get Stats On Your Block" by Natalie Pompilio; The Times-Picayune (Kenner edition) October 29, 1999, Pg. B1]

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Item #3  BRICK TOWNSHIP (NJ) POLICE TO GET SQUAD CAR LAPTOPS

The Brick (New Jersey) Township Council recently approved $175,000 to outfit the police department with 28 squad car laptop computers. The rest of the funds come from a Federal grant, which will allow officers to perform rapid records checks during traffic stops without the aid of dispatchers.

[Source:  "Brick police to get computers for cars" by Doug Robertson; Asbury Park Press (Neptune, NJ.) October 27, 1999, Pg. B7]

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Item #4  BUTLER COUNTY (OH) SHERIFF'S OFFICE COMPUTER SYSTEMS UPGRADE

The Butler County (Ohio) Sheriff's Office was recently awarded a $262,5000 federal grant to upgrade its communications, computer-aided dispatch and records management systems. Once county commissioners approve the required $87,500 local match, the county will proceed with efforts to bring the new system online, greatly improving speed and accuracy of all law enforcement record databases.

[Source: "Butler County Law Enforcement to Get an Infusion of Technology With a $262,500 Federal Grant, Communications and Records Will Be Tied Together Countywide" by Nicole Hughes; The Wichita (KS) Eagle, October 26, 1999, Pg. 9A]

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Item #5  LANCASTER COUNTY (PA) LAW ENFORCEMENT LAPTOP PROJECT

The Lancaster County (Pennsylvania) Board of Commissioners recently approved a  $124,392 contract to put software in 120 squad car laptops in nine police departments across the county that will allow officers to run their own license plate checks.  Successful tests were run on the software by the Ephrata Borough police department and police in Ephrata and Manheim townships. Over the next year the software will be added to squad cars of the Lancaster County Sheriff's Department , Lancaster City Police , Manor and West Hempfield townships, and Millersville and New Holland boroughs.

[Source: "120 county police cars to get new crime-fighting software" by Tom Murse; Lancaster New Era (Lancaster, PA.) October 27, 1999, Pg. C22]

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Item #6  EDMOND (OK) POLICE TO GET NEW DISPATCH AND RECORDS SYSTEM

Edmond, Oklahoma recently signed a $2.5 million contract for a new dispatch and records management system that will be Y2K compliant and speed response time to 911 calls.  The new system will automate the processing of 911 calls, immediately pulling up the address of callers and, through the use of automatic vehicle location devices in police cars, immediately dispatch the closest squad car.

[Source: "Edmond to install emergency system" by Carrie Pagley; Oklahoman Online, October 27, 1999]

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COURT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 

Item # 7  VIDEOCONFERENCING USED TO HOLD VIRTUAL FEDERAL TRIAL IN VIRGINIA

A federal trial was recently held in the U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Virginia in which the plaintiff, an inmate transferred to a New Mexico prison from Virginia, questioned witnesses and presented his case before a jury totally through the use of videoconferencing equipment. The inmate charged that he was beaten by guards while serving his sentence at a Virginia prison, and since the Virginia Attorney General's Office didn't want to pay for transportation costs from New Mexico and the inmate didn't object, the virtual trial was held with the judge's consent. The jury ruled in favor of the guards, but it is unclear what impact, if any, videoconferencing technology had on the verdict.

[Source: "Roanoke Court Holds Virtual Trial; Case May Be First Video Trial in State" by Michael Hemphill; The Roanoke (VA) Times, October 28, 1999, Pg. B1]

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 CORRECTIONS TECHNOLOGY NEWS
 

Item #8  NEW SALT LAKE COUNTY (UT) HIGH-TECH JAIL

The Salt Lake County (Utah) Sheriff's Office integrated best practices of facilities across the country in planning its new $135 million jail, including a pod design for housing inmates which increases security. A computer system in a central command center allows improved monitoring of the 2,000 inmates at the 700,000 square foot jail, with a SWAT team onsite to respond to emergencies.

[Source: "New jail  a technological showpiece" by Jennifer Dobner; The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT) October 19, 1999, Pg. B1]

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Center for Criminal Justice Technology Research Weekly News is compiled by Jeffrey Michaels jeffreym@mitretek.org