The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) provides the Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary as a service to law enforcement, corrections, and forensic science practitioners. The Summary includes abstracts of articles from major newspapers, business magazines, Web sites, national and international wire services, and periodicals focusing on law enforcement and corrections technology. Please note that providing synopses of articles on law enforcement and corrections technology or the mention of specific manufacturers or products does not constitute the endorsement of the U.S. Department of Justice or NLECTC. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary should be cited as the source of the information.

September 4, 2008

We are always interested in our readers' comments and feedback about this service. Please send your comments, questions, or suggestions to asknlectc@nlectc.org.

NLECTC Spotlight

Coming Soon! A New Look for JUSTNET

JUSTNET has upgraded both "out front" and behind the scenes to enhance its delivery of the information you need on the NLECTC system and its activities, events, and products. You can visit the new JUSTNET at the same url, www.justnet.org, starting on September 15, 2008.

Stop in and try new features such as:

• Easy access by topical area and spotlights on specific activities and products from the new front page, which features a slideshow of activities and events, promotions for recently released products, and highlighted technology assistance efforts. Frequent updates will keep you current on the latest from the Center system, so stop by often.
• Faster interactive access from every page to the NLECTC calendar, news abstracts, the latest TechBeat issue, popular publications, a short search request form for the body armor compliance testing database, and a Contact NLECTC form.
• Topical gateways on selected topics or subtopics, which provide links to all related information available on the entire JUSTNET site.
• Pages with specific content related to each NLECTC Regional Center and Center of Excellence.

Public Safety Technology in the News

Law Enforcement Agencies Introduce Information Network
Enctoday.com, (08/21/2008), Francine Sawyer

Using an award of $365,000 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 14 agencies in eastern North Carolina are now linked via an information network that will allow them to share information. Officials implemented the network, dubbed the Eastern Regional Information Center, to allow the agencies to collaborate on issues that may have ties to terrorism, or to other criminal or security activity. Information shared with the center will then be disseminated to state agencies as well.
www.enctoday.com/news/information_41747_nbsj__article.html/new_agencies.html

Red Light Cameras Give $381 Tickets for Rolling Right Turns in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Times, (08/16/2008), Rich Connell

After legal review by Los Angeles city officials, the practice of "California stops," which are rolling right-hand turns against a red light, will now result in a $381 fine. Red-light cameras in the past have handled this activity as a vehicle code violation. To bring Los Angeles more in line with other California jurisdictions, the city will handle it as a red light violation, which more than doubles the present fine of $159.
www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-redlight16-2008aug16,0,733533.story

License Plate Readers To Be Used in D.C. Area
Washington Post, (08/17/2008), Mary Beth Sheridan

Officials in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia announced plans to install 200 automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) on police cruisers and at roadside points to deter potential terrorist attacks. The announcement comes on the heels of last week's announcement by New York City officials to implement a plan to scan vehicles coming into Manhattan. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded the D.C. region a total of $59.8 million as part of the Urban Areas Safety Initiative (UASI) project. The ALPR project is one of roughly a dozen projects slated for the Washington region under the UASI funding. Officials also plan to spend $4 million for personal radiation detectors for officers, $5.6 million for equipment and training for bomb squads, and $18 million for assistance to local hospitals and medical personnel for equipment, planning, and training in dealing with disasters.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/16/AR2008081602218.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Growth Forces Law Enforcement Agencies to Get Bigger
Opelika-Auburn News, (08/21/2008), Vasha Hunt

Communities in Alabama are being forced to examine the potential for population growth as it relates to a nearby Kia manufacturing plant in Georgia, base realignment and closure of Ft. Knox, and subsequent expansion of Ft. Benning, Georgia. The city of Valley, located in eastern Alabama, will likely see a population increase as a result of the Ft. Benning expansion, and the city police chief wants to examine all options on coping with the potential for more crime. The implementation of more technology to help officers is certainly plausible. Traffic in the area is already increasing, and the chief wants to create a traffic enforcement unit and implement cameras and lights to help with the situation. Other regional departments, like Chambers and Lee County, as well as Auburn and Opelika city, are going to add officers to their forces.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/16/AR2008081602218.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Tools of Technology
Sbsun.com, (08/17/2008), Stacia Glenn

Since the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office created the Hi-Tech Crime Detail in 1999, the workload has doubled. The detail was created as part of the Specialized Investigations Unit to work on cases such as theft, fraud, or child exploitation. Last year alone, the unit handled 438 cases, and in the first 6 months of this year it has taken on 321 cases. This increase is tied to officers' understanding of evidence that may be on seized computers or cell phones. Today the list of crimes handled by the unit includes identity theft and DVD or music pirating. This jump in the amount of cases handled has allowed the group to request and receive $190,000 for equipment upgrades to help it try to stay ahead of the criminals.
/www.sbsun.com/news/ci_10233435

New Camera Technology Could Boost School Funds
Warwickonline.com, (08/19/2008), Matt Bower

The school system in Warwick, Rhode Island, may get some financial help through tickets issued to drivers who illegally pass school buses. The city's school committee, with the help of SmartBus Live, may obtain some much needed revenue from tickets issued to drivers who pass buses that are stopped and have their red lights flashing. The SmartBus system operates in two phases. Phase one is an external system that generates live digital feeds of all bus stops. This is accomplished using eight external cameras on the buses' left side that can capture up to six lanes of traffic. The second phase involves those feeds being sent to a central monitoring facility, where staff monitor images and footage of vehicles observed passing a stopped bus. The images are time and date stamped and the footage is verified before staff send it to police for processing. The system allows bus drivers to concentrate on the children's safety rather than have their attention divided by trying to capture violators' license plate information. SmartBus will install and set up the system; costs will come out of a portion of the revenue generated by the tickets.
warwickonline.com/warwickonline/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38354&Itemid=174

Fuel Prices Cause Law Enforcement To Examine Many Options
Stereo AM 610 KCSR, (08/21/2008), Chris Frankhauser

Rollercoaster fuel costs are causing law enforcement agencies to re-examine budgets and explore alternatives to reduce costs. The Dawes County Sheriff's office in Nebraska uses vehicles for all essential functions, so that only leaves cutting funding for non-job-related training for officers. The Nebraska State Police use roughly 660,000 gallons of fuel, averaging about 10 million miles per year, and is on a current pace to spend about $800,000 more on fuel this year than was budgeted. The agency is exploring technology and teleconferencing options for officer training and meetings, and considering schedule changes to help reduce trooper travel. The Chadron City Police Department is exploring the expanded use of equipment it currently has to reduce fuel costs. The department has motorcycles, but it will have to pay to equip the motorcycles for training purposes. Also, there are only two certified officers in the department, so additional officers will need to be trained. Departments are faced with many considerations when attempting to deal with the price of gas as it relates to budgeting and operations.
www.chadrad.com/newsstory.cfm?story=11057

Upcoming Events

NIJ Technology Institute for Rural Law Enforcement, October 26-30, 2008, Coronado (San Diego), California
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/events/rural-institute.htm

10th Annual Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness Conference and Exposition, October 29-31, 2008, Chicago, Illinois
www.ctc.org

Crime Mapping Research Conference,
August 2009
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/maps/

New Releases

TechBeat, Summer 2008
www.justnet.org/techbeat/summer2008/