News

Most Americans Want to Interact Online with Law Enforcement, with Nearly 90 Percent Open to Sharing Evidence via Digital Channels  

Unisys study finds US city dwellers will provide photos, text messages, video, and audio evidence to police as long as privacy concerns are addressed. PR Newswire RESTON, Va., Jan. 9, 2018 Nearly 90 percent of residents of four major US cities are willing to use online digital media to submit evidence to law enforcement agencies, suggesting the need for more interactive platforms to promote the exchange of information between police and citizens, according to a new “Safe Cities” survey sponsored…


License Plate Reader Policy Development Template for Use in Intelligence and Investigative Activities

The License Plate Reader Policy Development Template for Use in Intelligence and Investigative Activities (LPR Policy Template) is a policy guidance resource designed specifically for law enforcement entities and fusion centers to assist them in their efforts to develop comprehensive privacy, civil rights and civil liberties policies regarding the use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs or LPRs) in intelligence and investigative activities. Justice entities are turning to LPR technology to help solve crimes, recover abducted children, detect trafficking rings, and…


Innovative Technology Helps Responders After Mass Violence Events

Visit http://tinyurl.com/yado9op6 to read a new article from the National Institute of Justice, “Using Innovative Technology to Investigate Targeted Mass Violence: What the Future Holds”. After a mass violence event, law enforcement officers and other response personnel must work quickly to secure the scene, protect the public from further harm and begin investigation. In these often chaotic crime scenes, new technology can improve investigation safety and efficiency. This article discusses several new tools, including: Hyperspectral cameras which can detect chemical…


Justice Technology Information Center Releases Guide for Small Law Enforcement Agencies

Visit http://tinyurl.com/y9m55dwp to download How to Assess and Improve Operations of Small Law Enforcement Agencies, a new guide based on a presentation given by author Paul Schultz at the 2016 International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference. It provides a framework of the areas which a small law enforcement agency needs to review and the signs to look for which might indicate a problem. It also provides practical tips on how to improve each functional area.


VALOR for Blue Releases New Training Program, New Spotlight for Safety

The VALOR Program has released “Ordinary or Extraordinary?”, a new eLearning module geared to law enforcement officers. This video challenges officers to reexamine their role as law enforcement professionals. It covers: The importance of treating your job as more than “just a job”; How your professionalism directly affects your safety and the safety of those you serve; The definition of a “professional” in law enforcement; and What it means to be a scholar, a statesman and a guardian. VALOR for…


Template for a “Standard Operating Policy (SOP) Guidance for Law Enforcement Use of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS)” Available

In recent years, small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) have emerged as a new and viable public safety/law enforcement tool. This policy guidance is suggested for law enforcement agencies to use as a general template for developing and enhancing their internal management and operational activities regarding the integration of sUAS into their missions. It should not be construed as the concise final program guidance for any agency, but rather as an example from which agencies can develop and implement their own…


Virtual Training for Active Shooter Incidents Available for First Responders

A virtual training platform for active shooter and other critical incidents is available to first responders through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL). The Enhanced Dynamic Geo-social Environment (EDGE) is a multiplayer, scalable, online environment which trains responders, single agencies or cross agency, jurisdiction, or discipline for a coordinated response to active shooter incidents. EDGE allows responders to collaboratively role-play complex scenarios in a virtual environment, improving…


Drivers Think Distracted Driving Is Causing More Accidents than Driving Drunk, but a Surprising Number Claim to Be Good at It

Drivers under 35 are ten times more likely than drivers 55 and older to think they can safely text and drive. PR Newswire CLEVELAND, Sept. 6, 2017 A new Progressive Insurance study shows about one third of drivers feel confident in their own ability to text and drive, yet the majority believe distracted driving is the biggest cause of auto accidents and more than 90% say it should be illegal. The starkest difference in attitudes is between younger and older…


65 Law Enforcement Line of Duty Deaths in First Half of 2017

Traffic-related Incidents Are Leading Cause of Officer Fatalities, Increasing 24 Percent Recently, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund issued a new report with preliminary data through June 30, 2017, revealing that 65 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty in 2017 – a 30 percent increase over the same period last year (50). Of these 65 officers, 26 were killed in traffic-related incidents, 23 were killed by gunfire and 16 died due to other causes…


DEA Resource Guide on Drugs

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has released the 2017 edition of Drugs of Abuse, A DEA Resource Guide. The guide is designed to be a reliable resource on the most commonly abused and misused drugs in the United States. The guide provides science-based information about the harms and consequences of drug use, describing a drug’s effects on the body and mind, overdose potential, origin, and legal status. The 2017 edition updates the 2015 Drugs of Abuse publication with the most…