Law enforcement
License Plate Scanners Raise Privacy, Civil Liberties Questions
[Editor’s Note: An article about privacy concerns of the use of LPR technology. The primary point being the universal standard of data retention.] When Washington, D.C., began expanding the use of these license-plate readers a few years ago, there were discussions about the privacy issues connected with the use of license-plate recognition surveillance technology to […]
St. Louis Area Police Could Soon Use Facial Recognition Software
High-tech crime fighting equipment is coming to the St. Louis area. Facial recognition computer equipment will be available to law enforcement departments on both sides of the river. An arm of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments manages Homeland Security grants and is requesting bids from vendors for the equipment and software. While it’s generally […]
FirstNet: America’s New Surveillance Network
FirstNet: America’s new surveillance network raises grave privacy concerns While the system has already been tested in a handful of states, and 2014 will likely see it rolled out further. According to a series of presentation slides from December last year, FirstNet will be the “MOST secure wireless network ever built,” sitting entirely separate from the commercially run networks that everyone, including first responders, uses today. This will give FirstNet greater reliability in situations where networks come under extreme pressure, such as when tens of thousands of people contact loved ones during a terrorist attack or natural disaster. It makes sense to have a dedicated network just for first responders during these sorts of events. Thanks to the network being based on the super-fast 4G protocol, it will also allow for a new wave of novel technology. One application is that after ‘tagging’ a disaster victim with a small device, patients’ vital signs can be monitored from a control centre, allowing medical staff to keep an eye on who needs treatment the most at any one time. But FirstNet will also give local law enforcement the ability to take digital “fingerprints from the field,” record and share highquality video, and instantaneously marry these freshly sourced data with others over the network. In the video above, a demonstrator uses facial recognition software on a tablet; finds out if the target is in a linked database, and is immediately provided with a wealth of information on him. Of course, having a […]
Source voiceofrussia.com
Boston Bombings Will Have Spillover Effect On Security At Popular Events In Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Missouri Courthouse Becomes Test Site For Facial Recognition Security Program
By JENNIFER S. MANN St Louis Post-Dispatch Updated: 2014-02-24T13:02:56Z February 24 By JENNIFER S. MANN St. Louis Post-Dispatch ST. LOUIS — It took three minutes for James Palmer to make it from the entrance of an Arkansas courthouse to the chambers of the judge he intended to kill. Dressed in a long coat that hid two handguns and a rifle, Palmer went undetected on Sept. 13, 2011 — until he started firing. A secretary was injured in the leg, but the judge was at home that day. Palmer fired more than 70 rounds before dying in a firefight with officers. St. Louis judges considered such a scenario in approving a pilot program for security at the Carnahan Courthouse downtown that brings a new twist to law enforcement’s emerging use of facial recognition technology. Unlike programs that have alarmed civil libertarians for snapping pictures of people to run through giant databases of mugshots and arrest records, what’s being done here is much more targeted. If a judge or prosecutor knows of a particular threat — someone such as Palmer, for example, who was angry at the judge over divorce and custody issues — that individual’s photograph is put into a computer system. It sends an alert if that person is spotted by cameras at the courthouse entrances. A group of current and retired St. Louis police officers developed the technology over eight years and recently formed a company, Blue Line Security Solutions, to market it. The St. Louis Circuit Court […]
Source www.kansascity.com
Historic Police Department Adopts New License Plate Technology
Longwood, FL (PRWEB) February 20, 2014 The New Bern Police Department, one of the oldest police departments in North Carolina, is adding automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) technology from NDI Recognition Systems (NDI-RS) to its crime-fighting arsenal. The department has purchased a mobile ALPR solution for installation in one of its patrol vehicles. The department’s documented history extends back to 1797, and the New Bern Police Department prides itself on adopting new technologies and setting a high standard for police work. License plate recognition (LPR) systems allow law enforcement agencies to quickly and accurately scan vehicle license plates, matching them against crime databases such as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), as well as state and local wants and warrants. The system is a valuable asset to law enforcement officers, alerting them to wanted vehicles, including those sought for AMBER, Silver, and other types of alerts. “NDI Recognition Systems is excited that the New Bern Police Department has chosen NDI-RS to supply its license plate recognition equipment and software,” said Christopher McKissick, sales director. “We look forward to helping the New Bern police officers protect their citizens and visitors to this historic city.” About NDI Recognition Systems: NDI Recognition Systems (NDI-RS) is a global provider of automated license plate recognition (ALPR) solutions for law enforcement, homeland security, and critical infrastructure security, as well as other market sectors. With an installed base in over 40 countries, NDI-RS designs and manufactures turn-key, end-to-end LPR solutions including mobile, fixed, and covert installations. […]
Source www.prweb.com
Video Surveillance Of Downtown Houston To Expand
HOUSTON (AP) — Police surveillance of downtown Houston is expanding with 180 new cameras that will bring the number of video feeds available to law enforcement authorities by early 2014 to nearly 1,000. The Houston Chronicle reported Thursday (http://bit.ly/1c7oMnF ) most cameras are pointed on public areas around downtown, including its theater district and stadiums. "With all the homeland security requirements that we have — we have more critical infrastructure to protect than New York City — we can’t do it without video," Police Chief Charles McClelland told the newspaper. The city has spent more than $18 million in federal money to build its camera system and has another $5 million in reserve. Houston also has expanded its video network through private sharing agreements, such as by accessing networks along rail lines. The expansion comes despite shrinking national security grants for video surveillance and studies showing mixed results on whether the presence of cameras improves public safety. Nancy La Vigne, a justice policy researcher with the nonprofit Urban Institute, said cameras help but can’t replace beat officers. "You need that human interaction," said La Vigne, whose 2011 study of surveillance networks showed variances in their effectiveness. In Baltimore, for example, where officers were trained to monitor video feeds, crime was reduced. In Chicago, while cameras at one park cut the crime rate in half, they had little impact at another, according to the study. But C.O. Bradford, a Houston city councilman and former Houston police chief, said the technology […]
Source www.khou.com
NYCHA On Track To Complete CCTV Installation At City Council-Funded Developments By End Of 2013
“Since my appointment as Chairman, we have taken decisive, proactive measures and have made cost-effective choices to ensure a long-term, sustainable approach to security, which has resulted in the installation of more than 5,000 closed-circuit television cameras at more than 500 buildings in the past four-and-a-half years alone,” said NYCHA Chairman John B. Rhea. “As we outlined in Plan NYCHA, all of these process improvements are a direct result of NYCHA’s commitment to making our developments safer and more secure for our residents and communities.” In 2009, NYCHA formed the Safety and Security Task Force, bringing together resident leaders, NYCHA management and the New York City Police Department, as well as other law enforcement stakeholders, to determine how best to utilize allocated funds, and find solutions to improve and strengthen NYCHA communities. The Task Force’s early findings suggested that NYCHA review and evaluate all new CCTV-related construction that had not yet been initiated. The effort led to a more comprehensive, standardized security model that would maximize the use of the City Council’s financial investment, while ensuring community support. The resulting Safety and Security Program included a universal platform for the selection and placement of security enhancements; and a comprehensive approach to security, known as layered access control, which includes modern intercoms and technologically advanced cameras. In 2010, NYCHA had $42 million to provide security enhancements for 85 designated developments. After presenting the new security system options to City Council Members, NYCHA sought and obtained buy-in for the use of […]
Source www.webnewswire.com
Digital Ally Awarded Statewide Contract With West Virginia
LENEXA, KS–(Marketwired – Dec 30, 2013) – Digital Ally, Inc. ( NASDAQ : DGLY ), which develops, manufactures and markets advanced video surveillance products for law enforcement, homeland security and commercial applications, today announced that it has been awarded a "sole-source" contract with the State of West Virginia to supply in-car video systems and related equipment to the state’s highway patrol department. The initial one-year contract, which was effective December 15, 2013 and includes a provision for two one-year renewals, authorizes the purchase of Digital Ally’s in-car video systems, particularly the DVM-750 , for installation in state trooper vehicles. The West Virginia State Police, which includes over 600 sworn officers, operates and maintains an active fleet of over 500 cruisers throughout the state. The Company expects to receive a significant purchase order from West Virginia in the first quarter of 2014 for the initial deployment of DVM-750 units and anticipates that the state will attempt to deploy in-car video systems in its entire fleet of vehicles during 2014 and 2015. "This represents the 26 th state contract our Company has received for in-car video systems and/or LIDAR speed enforcement products and the 5 th ‘sole-source’ contract involving in-car video systems," stated Stanton E. Ross, Chief Executive Officer of Digital Ally, Inc. "The contract allows all other agencies, spending units and political subdivisions within the State of West Virginia, including state, county and municipal law enforcement agencies, to buy Digital Ally’s in-car video systems at the same prices and on […]
Source www.stockhouse.com
L.A.’s Congressional Rep Waters Calls For Armed Police At Airports
Los Angeles — In the wake of last month’s deadly shooting at Los Angeles International Airport , a local congresswoman has called for improvements to airport security, including the permanent assignment of armed police officers near passenger screening checkpoints. Rep. Maxine Waters , D-Los Angeles, also urged law enforcement officials to allow airport police to have access to all airport security cameras. "I believe these recommendations will play a vital role in ensuring that all travelers and airport employees are safe in our nation’s airports," said Waters, whose district includes LAX. Waters made the request on Thursday in a letter sent to John Pistole , head of the Transportation Security Administration , which is responsible for screening passengers at the nation’s commercial airports. In the Nov. 1 shooting, a gunman armed with an assault-style rifle entered Terminal 3 and shot his way through the screening area before he was shot and captured near the boarding gates. A TSA agent was killed and two other TSA officials as well as a schoolteacher were wounded. Paul Anthony Ciancia , 23, has been charged with murder and attempted murder in the attack. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Airport Police Department removed armed officers from the checkpoints at LAX and added them to patrols, ending a policy that was put in place shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. Critics of the decision, including former airport security officials, said the reassignment reduced the chances officers had of stopping the gunman. In addition, union […]
Source www.sfgate.com
Video Surveillance Cameras: The Good, The Bad, And The Hype – Lessons From Boston
We hear it again and again. Video surveillance cameras can accomplish what humans can’t. There’s simply no way, we are told, in a situation like the Boston Marathon bombing, with all the thousands of people in attendance, to be able to track suspects without video footage of the scene. To try to rely merely on eyewitnesses in that case is just too difficult, if not impossible, a real case of sensory overload. The problem is that it’s not entirely true. Law enforcement, through video surveillance footage, clearly narrowed down who the suspects were. However, part of the reason they could identify them was because one of the injured, a man who lost both legs to the bomb, clearly identified an individual putting down a bag just before the blast. With the help of a sketch artist and subsequent video footage, a suspect was clearly identified. Instead of being able to plan another attack, the two brothers were suddenly on the run, and in a matter of couple of days one was dead, another captured. However, it was the combination of human intelligence and video surveillance technology that made this possible, not exclusively one or the other. After this terrible tragedy, some have asked, “But does this now mean that cameras will now be everywhere? What about privacy?” It’s hard to believe that in the year 2013 that question is still being asked. The reality is: cameras more and more are everywhere. Try to walk through any major metropolitan area […]
Source www.sdmmag.com
Seattle-Based Wearable Camera Maker Focusing On Prosumer Market
Steve Ward had wearable cameras in his sights when he was a Seattle police officer on bike patrols in the late 1990s. Back then, he figured body-worn devices could show 100 percent of what a cop deals with on a daily basis, rather than the 5 percent or so that is seen on the dashboard camera videos that have become a staple of evening newscasts. Yet, Ward had to wait for the technology to catch up with his ideas. “Now we have smaller batteries, longer life and smaller image sensors,” he said. Ward now also has his own six-year-old company, VIEVU, and an initial body-worn camera that’s been successfully marketed to the law enforcement community. That product is now used by 3,000 agencies in 16 countries. Ward’s newest product, the VIEVU2 (VIEVU Squared), is a response to requests he was hearing from a different marketplace as he was selling his first wearable camera. “We’d get a lot of people coming to us saying, ‘hey, make us a camera that we can use to protect our businesses, or protect ourselves and our jobs,” Ward said. “So we listened to what the market said.” The VIEVU Squared is the result: a rugged, square-ish camera that fits in the palm of a hand, and is primarily targeting home service professionals, security personnel or business owners. “These are professionals that have liability in their jobs, or a business person who wants to protect their company. So we make a camera that they can […]
Source www.king5.com
Iowa DOT Chief Says There?s ?Mixed? Info Over Safety Impact Of Traffic Cameras
The removal of a potential safety hazard that could have saved an inmate’s life was halted due to the anticipated closure of the Sarnia Jail, a jury heard Thursday at the ongoing inquest into the hanging deaths of two inmates. Sarnia Jail superintendent Kim Wright told jurors she believed the elimination of possible anchor points for nooses on bed frames was stopped after the closure of the jail was announced. In April, inmate Daniel Mitchell was found with a shred of bed sheet around his neck and tied through a bed frame hole. In 2011, Darcy Rice, the second victim in the ongoing inquest, was discovered with a shred of bed sheet around his neck and tied to a horizontal bar of the cell door. However, jurors at an eerily similar inquest into another hanging death back in 2009 had already recommended holes in jail bed frames and horizontal bars on cell doors be eliminated. A weekend inmate, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he wasn’t surprised to hear the jury’s recommendations weren’t followed through on back in 2009. “I’m more aggravated that they aren’t keeping an eye on the inmates,” he said. “They come around every once in a while. There’s times in there that they don’t come around for a good hour.” He believes the solution to preventing jail suicides is simply to increase the patrols of the cells. In the last six years, three of the 17 suicides at Ontario’s 29 jails have happened in […]
Source www.theobserver.ca
NYPD Wants Stores To Turn Security Cameras Toward Streets
Kevin Samson Activist Post New York City has become the epicenter of a massive apparatus of citizen surveillance, harassment, and control. It’s a place rife with biometrics, a city-wide camera system supplying real-time data to law enforcement, and a militarized physical presence that has turned the city into an armed encampment. New York, in fact, is the testing ground for the implementation of military-level counterterrorism operations on American soil. According to a 60 Minutes interview with Commissioner Ray Kelly , he commands a force larger than the FBI, consisting of 35,000 uniformed officers and 15,000 civilian employees. New York’s surveillance city – aka Ring of Steel – has no rival in the realm of Big Brother worship. But so far this is mostly confined to the center. However, in outlying districts, the surveillance society is yet to be imposed full force. The NYPD is now asking for businesses to cooperate in helping to make that happen. Citing a rise in violent crime in the 32nd Precint, Harlem, Commander Rodney Harrison is proposing a cooperation with local businesses dubbed “Grid Search.” The (disarmed) residents seem to be all for it: Many nearby residents said it was a splendid idea. “You’ve got a lot of these gang members out here attacking people for no reason,” said one neighbor, Dwayne. “They need to just put a lot of cameras up in storefronts to lower the crime rate.” However, the (also disarmed) business owners aren’t embracing the idea as enthusiastically: But some business […]
Source www.activistpost.com
Fernandina Beach Police Department Implements License Plate Recognition System
Longwood, FL (PRWEB) November 24, 2013 The Fernandina Beach Police Department has implemented a four-camera mobile automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) system from NDI Recognition Systems (NDI-RS). Installed on one of the department’s patrol vehicles, the ALPR system will scan license plates and check the plates against “hot lists” of vehicles that are of interest to law enforcement officers, including Amber Alerts, Silver Alerts, suspended licenses, and other types of alerts. In addition to alerting officers in the patrol unit when the cameras spot a wanted vehicle, the NDI-RS solution captures plate reads, along with location data and color pictures of each vehicle, and that information is fully searchable using NDI-RS’s Vehicle Intelligence Server and Communications Engine (VISCE) back office software. “In addition to the assistance that NDI-RS’s solutions provide for traffic enforcement, the Fernandina Beach Police Department will be able to analyze the information captured by the ALPR solution to assist with ongoing criminal investigations,” said Christopher McKissick, Director of Sales for NDI Recognition Systems. “NDI-RS’s ALPR solutions are a strategic tool to help law enforcement protect citizens, and can help identify criminal activity as it occurs, as well as providing crucial intelligence to solve cases.” About NDI Recognition Systems: NDI Recognition Systems (NDI-RS) is a global provider of automated license plate recognition (ALPR) solutions for law enforcement, homeland security, and critical infrastructure security, as well as other market sectors. With an installed base in over 40 countries, NDI-RS designs and manufactures turn-key, end-to-end LPR solutions including mobile, […]
Source www.prweb.com
American Cities Installing Ominous Surveillance Tech Despite NSA Scandal
American cities installing ominous surveillance tech despite NSA scandal Never mind the negative press the NSA has received in recent weeks after Edward Snowden began leaking top-secret documents to the media pertaining to the United States’ spy group’s broadly scoped surveillance programs. Law enforcement agencies and local leaders in major American cities are nevertheless signing on to install new systems that are affording officials the power to snoop on just about anyone within range. Seattle, Washington and Las Vegas, Nevada are among the latest locales in the US to acquire surveillance tools, the likes of which were both discussed in regional media reports over the weekend that are making their rounds across the Web and causing privacy advocates around the world to raise their voice. Neither West Coast city has announced plans to acquire telephone metadata or eavesdrop on email traffic, and combined their operations likely pale in comparison to what the NSA has accomplished. Civil liberties activists are sounding the alarm regardless, however, after new reports revealed what kind of information city officials could collect using newly installed equipment. In Seattle, a city of around 635,000, the police department recently used a Department of Homeland Security grant for $2.6 million to purchase and put up a number of wireless access devices that together create “mesh networks” which law enforcement officials can connect to and in turn more quickly share large chunks of data, such as surveillance camera recordings and other high-res information. Those access points, or APs, do […]
Source www.scenereleases.eu
Digital Ally Receives Order From Evansville, Indiana Police Department For 150 FirstVU HD Body Cameras
(businesspress24) – LENEXA, KS — (Marketwired) — 11/12/13 — Digital Ally, Inc. (NASDAQ: DGLY), which develops, manufactures and markets advanced video surveillance products for law enforcement, homeland security and commercial applications, today announced the receipt of its largest single order for the body camera, which was introduced to the market in the third quarter of 2013. The order, from the Evansville, Indiana police department, will be shipped in the current quarter. The Evansville police department evaluated all of the major body cameras on the market during a 60-day testing period before selecting Digital Ally’s FirstVU HD for its officers. Testing included evaluation of product durability, versatility, ease of use, battery life, video and sound quality, upload and download speeds, and the data storage requirements for a typical officer’s daily shift. “We have sold over 350 FirstVU HD units, including the Evansville order, since the new body camera was officially launched in July 2013, and the FirstVU HD is being tested and evaluated against competitive products by over 150 law enforcement agencies,” stated Stanton E. Ross, Chief Executive Officer of Digital Ally, Inc. “These test and evaluation programs are typically one to three months in duration, and based on an analysis of completed test and evaluation programs, our FirstVU HD has emerged as the top-rated system by a clear majority of the agencies performing the evaluations. We have averaged approximately 20 new police agencies initiating test and evaluation programs per week, with active and completed test and evaluation projects representing […]
Source www.businesspress24.com
The Future Of Body-Worn Cameras For Law Enforcement
Email Print Comment RSS TechBeat with the Office of Justice Programs’ National Institute of Justice (NIJ) By Michele Coppola Tech Beat Magazine In recent years law enforcement agencies have been experimenting with and using body-worn video cameras. How future cameras can be improved to further officer safety and effectiveness was among the topics discussed at a technology institute sponsored by the Office of Justice Programs’ National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Proponents of body-worn cameras say they protect officers from false accusations, reduce agency liability and citizen complaints, and provide evidence for use in court. Unlike vehicle-mounted cameras, the body-worn cameras travel with the officer when he steps away from the patrol car. They can be attached to a shirt pocket, helmet, glasses or badge, and can serve to augment in-car video systems or provide an option to the expensive in-car systems that some departments cannot afford. Capt. Wayne Hoss of the San Mateo Police Department says that while those arguments carry weight, the current technology has limitations. Why not go further and incorporate technology into body-worn cameras that could substantially increase officer safety? Hoss discussed the current state of body-worn cameras and a future vision for the technology at the NIJ 2013 Technology Institute for Law Enforcement. San Mateo, with a population of approximately 98,000, sits about 20 miles south of San Francisco, near Silicon Valley, which is home to numerous established and start-up high-tech companies. The police department has 100 sworn officers. Hoss says the proximity to the […]
Source www.policeone.com
AngelTrax Announces VizuCop ? Innovative In-Car Video Surveillance Solutions
Email Print Register Bookmark RSS What’s This Newton, Ala. – October, 2013 – AngelTrax , the rapidly growing, leading supplier of in-vehicle digital video surveillance technology, today announced a new brand – VizuCop , featuring rugged, in-car mobile surveillance solutions engineered exclusively for the law enforcement industry. The first system to be released – VizuCop 360 – features a patented front-facing, dual lens camera that eliminates the need for manual zooming for clear license plate capture, up to eight HD quality video and audio channels, a solid-state 256GB SATA hard drive or a 128GB SD card and a space saving, LCD rearview mirror monitor. “Entering into the police market was the next logical step for AngelTrax,” said Richie Howard, President of AngelTrax. “We’ve been quietly working on our in-car police system for the last five years and are now proud to release it to the market.” The VizuCop 360 system will be released January 1, 2014. Customers can initially choose from two versions of the system – a 256GB solid-state hard drive version or a 128GB SD card version. The VizuCop 360 system will be introduced publicly for the first time at the IACP Expo, October 20, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pa. AngelTrax executives and engineers worked closely with law enforcement agencies across the country to create an officer-friendly in-car system that would withstand the harsh, oftentimes dangerous environment inherent of police work. Designed to complement standard law-enforcement procedures while meeting the specialized needs of officers in the field, the […]
Source www.policeone.com
Cambridge MA Blocks Surveillance Cameras
How one Mass city watches the watchers, and how others should follow suit On February 2, 2009, the Cambridge City Council voted in unanimous opposition to the installation of eight Department of Homeland Security cameras at major intersections on the basis that “the potential threats to invasion of privacy and individual civil liberties outweigh the current benefits” of accepting the DHS funds. While six such cameras were installed all the same, the council and a vocal citizenry has since successfully opposed their activation. At a follow-up meeting earlier this month, all nine Cambridge councilors reaffirmed their position: the cameras must remain off until police prove beyond doubt that their department has the capacity to balance investigative methods with civil liberties. Such aggressive civilian oversight of law enforcement should serve as a model not only for the Boston region, but for the whole country. Since 9-11, police chiefs, sheriffs, and commissioners have had an open invitation to request any range of surveillance and tactical gear from federal coffers, often without accountability checks to ensure that deployment squares with the Bill of Rights. Between DHS, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Defense, local overseers can secure every conceivable toy that they could ever covet without spending a dime of their own. From drones, to armored vehicles, to Long Range Acoustic Devices, which are essentially giant human dog whistles, it’s a veritable buffet via federal grants. Since these checks are written by the feds, such arrangements are often executed without […]
Source digboston.com