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.

November 29, 2007

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

NLECTC-West Automated Forms Project

In early 2007 the Lawrence (Massachusetts) Police Department contacted NLECTC-West for assistance with a problem faced by their School Resource Officers (SROs). The SROs are currently required to fill out numerous paper forms such as their Field Interrogation/Observation Forms (FIOs). In order to save time and effort by eliminating the paper forms and easily retrieve records later, the Department asked NLECTC-West for help in finding an affordable solution for automating these forms. The SROs will access these automated forms via handheld personal data assistants (PDAs) and the information will be stored in a database with search capabilities.

As of September 2007, NLECTC-West has assisted the Department with the purchase of the hardware and in obtaining a custom software solution. The Department has completed a field test of the PDA unit and provided feedback to NLECTC-West. The Center anticipates that they will incorporate improvements for the next version of the system by early 2008. For more information on the automated forms system, please contact NLECTC-West, 888-548-1618 or nlectc@law-west.org

New DNA.gov Courses for Forensic Analysts

DNA.gov offers free, self-paced, online courses designed to help criminal justice professionals preserve, identify, analyze, and present DNA evidence. The following four courses for forensic analysts have recently come online:

• DNA Extraction and Quantitation. Addresses DNA analysis considerations, organic extraction, Chelex®100 extraction, other extraction techniques, and quantitation.
• DNA Amplification. Provides an overview of amplification and addresses locus selection, multiplexing, and contamination.
• Amplified DNA Product Separation. Provides an overview of amplification and electrophoresis and addresses capillary electrophoresis and sample preparation and handling.
• STR Data Analysis and Interpretation for Forensic Analysts. Addresses STR (Short Tandem Repeat) data analysis and interpretation software, data troubleshooting, and date interpretation and allele calls.

For more information on these and other courses designed for law enforcement officers and officers of the court, please visit www.dna.gov/training/online-training/.

Public Safety Technology in the News

Study Shows Tasers to be Relatively Harmless
The Post (10/22/07), Alivia Nuzzo

A study examining instances of Taser® use by law enforcement at six agencies supports the use of the electro-muscular discharge units as a less-lethal alternative for law enforcement. Research data for the study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and conducted by Wake Forest University's School of Medicine, was gathered from criminal suspects' reports regarding use of Tasers®. Of the almost 1,000 subjects, 99.7% had little or no injuries. Death occurred in two instances, but it was later determined that the deaths were unrelated to the use of Tasers®.
www.thepost.ohiou.edu/Articles/News/2007/10/22/21838/

New 911 System Can Trace Cell Calls
Daily News Transcript (10/22/07), Keith Ferguson

The Walpole (Massachusetts) Police Department has taken advantage of Vestas Pallas, a new 911 system that reports cell phone numbers to dispatchers and provides dispatchers with the ability to trace cell phone calls to detailed locations on a computer-generated map. In the past, cell phone call location and phone number information were difficult to acquire. The system takes advantage of the GPS feature that's on most new phones to obtain location and phone number information. However, if the cell phone is older and doesn't have a GPS feature, the system initially will indicate the nearest cell tower and zero in on a more precise location as the call continues.
www.dailynewstranscript.com/homepage/x857473994

Townwide Alert Helps Police Find Missing
nashuatelegraph.com, an edition of "The Telegraph," (Nashua, NH). (10/22/07), Hattie Bernstein

Lt. James Sartell has 10 years on the Hollis, New Hampshire, police force, and has always been concerned about children and elderly citizens going missing, especially in the fall and winter months when temperatures dip down quickly. Recently an elderly man called the department after his wife did not return from an afternoon walk. The department took this opportunity to contact the toll-free national hotline for "A Child is Missing" alert system, which the town subscribes to free of charge, and within a minute the service telephoned 1,000 residents in the area near where the woman had last been seen. Roughly 490 of those calls were answered, and citizens received an automated message regarding the situation. Some of those citizens also volunteered to assist police with the search. These efforts resulted in the missing woman being found in about 2 hours.
www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071022/NEWS01/310220058/-1/news

SUU Issues First E-Mail Safety Notice
SUUjournal.com (11/12/07), Josh Smith

The Southern Utah University (SUU) Department of Public Safety recently issued its first-ever campuswide e-mail alert. The alert included a mug shot and information about a gentleman "considered by Public Safety to be a threat" and requested that people alert the department if they saw him on the campus. Previous efforts would have required public safety officials to post signs throughout campus. With this new system, notification is instant and provides the capability to send notifications to everyone on the SUU system. Other future technology projects include electronic locks on exterior doors, digital signage, comprehensive video surveillance, and an emergency siren system.
media.www.suujournal.com/media/storage/paper951/news/2007/11/12/News/Suu-Issues.First.EMail.Safety.Notice-3092965.shtml

Minneapolis Wins Award for New High-Tech Emergency Dispatch System
Government Technology (11/8/07), News Report

Minneapolis' new cutting-edge computer aided dispatch (CAD) system, which will improve how police and fire and rescue units respond to emergency situations, was awarded top technology honors at the 8th annual Tekne Awards. These awards acknowledge organizations and individuals that have a positive impact on the technology-based economy of Minnesota. The award-winning system went into service in March 2007. It provides first responders and 911 dispatchers with new ways to respond faster and smarter to emergency situations by making more detailed information available to them. This new system was paid for using U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant funds, and was developed by TriTech, Inc. of San Diego.
www.govtech.com/gt/174473?topic=117699

Device Will Put Crooks at Cops' Fingertips
WTOP Radio (11/14/07), Hank Silverberg

Technology designed to correctly identify criminals who have given false information regarding their identity will be implemented by Fairfax County, Virginia. The county will be the first in the nation to use a handheld device that will allow police officers to instantaneously identify a person who has been arrested either by using fingerprints or a digital photo. The information captured will be cross-referenced against information contained in a database of criminal records, and in the future this system may connect to a national database of criminal records. Fairfax County is expected to have 50 of the units, which have been paid for using U.S. Department of Homeland Security funding. Several surrounding jurisdictions hope to obtain similar devices as well.
www.wtopnews.com/?nid=600&sid=1291897

Local FBI Rolls Out Online Sharing Network
The Gazette (11/6/07), Alicia Ebaugh

In terms of information sharing between local and State law enforcement, Iowa is "far ahead," according to an FBI official, but taking advantage of an FBI site will only serve to make that communication better. On October 6, officers from across Iowa got their first look at the FBI's Law Enforcement Online information sharing network. This network assists all levels of agencies in sharing information nationwide. The FBI's system has been operational since 1995 and the agency is still working to get thousands of local, county, and State agencies involved by providing trainings to organizations nationwide. Law Enforcement Online gives officials a secure, encrypted location in which to put crime information so they can seek out information from other jurisdictions or make information available to other agencies. Access to Law Enforcement Online is granted using an FBI background check process.
www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071106/NEWS/711060036/1006/news

FBI Harnesses Power of "On Demand" From Comcast to Track Criminals, Find Missing Persons, Make Communities Safer
CNNMoney.com (11/1/07), PR Newswire

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has found a valuable tool in using the ON DEMAND technology that Comcast uses for cable service. "Police Blotter ON DEMAND" is a community-oriented video on-demand service that was launched in the Philadelphia area last December. Recently a Comcast customer, after seeing the profile of a wanted bank robber, contacted the FBI with a tip that led to an arrest. This service provides law enforcement with another tool to reach out to the public for assistance. The features the service provides, such as pause and rewind, can assist customers in seeing details and making connections that might otherwise be lost. Police Blotter ON DEMAND is regularly updated with video profiles for bank robbers, missing persons, and individuals from the Philadelphia Police Department's most wanted files. The offering is available free of charge to customers on the Comcast system.
money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/NEM04312112007-1.htm

Upcoming Events

Personal Protective Equipment Conference, November 28-30, 2007, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/events/peronsal-protective-equipment.htm

ACA Winter 2008 Conference, January 11-16, 2008, Grapevine, Texas
www.aca.org/Conferences/Winter08/home.asp

NIJ Rural Law Enforcement Technology Institute, February 24-28, 2008, Charleston, South Carolina
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/events/rural-institute.htm

2008 Innovative Technologies for Community Corrections Conference, June 9-11, 2008, Denver, Colorado
www.justnet.org/training/commcorr.html

New Releases

Incident Commander: A Training Simulation for Public Safety Personnel
www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=239168

Investigative Uses of Technology: Devices, Tools, and Techniques
www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/213030.pdf