Law Enforcement

6 pillars of an effective real-time crime center

COMMENTARY | Skilled staff at real-time crime centers sift through massive amounts of data, relying on advanced analytics and a central intelligence platform to help develop leads and share actionable information.

  • By Johnmichael O’Hare

Prisons ‘under attack’ from drones delivering contraband

Experts said the issue has exploded in recent years but could be fixed if states get the authority to jam cellphone signals.

  • By Chris Teale

Lawmakers advocate more funds for state fusion centers

Better information sharing across regions and state lines could help counter growing cyberthreats and help law enforcement collaborate, House members said.

  • By Chris Teale

Senator calls for cybersecurity audit of law enforcement wireless network

FirstNet is a cellular network built for first responders around the country, but at least one federal official told the senator’s office they had “no confidence” in the network’s security.

  • By Frank Konkel

NYPD pilots GPS darts, autonomous patroller and reintroduces robot dog

An autonomous security robot, GPS-enabled projectiles that attach to fleeing vehicles and the agile DigiDog are helping transform public safety in New York City.

  • By Susan Miller

A mobile-first approach enhances police operations

With mobile devices tapping into its police-only internet, the Lenexa Police Department can log and share data quicker as well as track crime trends and officer locations for more efficient police responses.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Resident data profiles trigger targeted emergency response

First responders can save time and resources when they have access to resident information such as existing medical conditions or their home layout.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Justice launches $8M smart policing grant program

State, local, tribal and campus law enforcement agencies can apply for funds to develop, implement and test new technologies that support community violence intervention and promote information sharing and data transparency.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

How blockchain can improve digital evidence collection and collaboration

Blockchain offers an immutable chain of custody that guarantees data integrity, prevents fraud and provides a transparent, auditable system of record for digital assets related to investigations.

  • By Kevin Doubleday and Buck Flannigan

Criminal justice algorithms still discriminate

Algorithms built upon messy, subjective and discriminatory data can replicate or even amplify bias that disproportionately harms marginalized communities.

  • By Molly Callahan

Public safety data officer wants to break silos, make data more transparent

Better use of data can help the business community work with the city to reduce crime, according to the Greater Baltimore Committee’s new public safety data officer.

  • By Chris Teale

In search of better criminal justice data

The Biden administration wants to know how data can be used to deliver more equitable policing.

  • By Susan Miller

How video evidence is presented in court can hold sway in cases like the beating death of Tyre Nichols

Video surveillance footage may help courts better judge past events, but viewers can still be influenced by their own biases and even the way video is presented, an expert says.

  • By Sandra Ristovska, The Conversation

Platform streamlines sharing, analysis of criminal justice data

The Justice Counts initiative is developing a cloud-based portal to address the long-standing lack of standardized, accessible criminal justice metrics.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson
Featured eBooks

Is it forensics or is it junk science?

Dubious forensic techniques have spread throughout the criminal justice system for decades. Here’s what ProPublica has learned about junk forensic science techniques and how they proliferate.

  • By Sophia Kovatch, Pamela Colloff and Brett Murphy, ProPublica

Police tech requires better trained officers, more cybersecurity

State governments should also build in more oversight around data collection and privacy, according to researchers at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.

  • By Chris Teale

Portable gunshot detector senses firearms’ sound and flash

The system uses the sound and flash of the fired gun to identify and validate each shot, reducing response times and false positives.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Efficient public safety demands evolving tech

Modern cloud, mobile and data analysis tools are key to streamlined, professional police work, a new survey found.

  • By Chris Teale

Algorithm analyzes escort ads to detect human trafficking

Researchers have developed an algorithm that identifies similarities in escort advertisements, which often indicates trafficking behavior.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

What is Fog Reveal? A legal scholar explains the app some police forces are using to track people without a warrant

Law enforcement use of Fog Reveal puts a spotlight on that loophole between U.S. data privacy law and electronic surveillance law.

  • By Anne Toomey McKenna, The Conversation

House bill limits police use of facial recognition

The legislation would place “strong limits” on the technology’s use, provide transparency to those harmed by it and ensure there are annual assessments of its accuracy.

  • By Chris Teale