Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

Therapy K9s: Changing the Way Law Enforcement Serves Communities
PoliceOne.com, (04/18/2019), Jason Ratcliff
This article profiles the law enforcement canine therapy program run by the Franklin County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office. The program includes public relations and community engagement as well as victim advocacy, mental health and trauma.
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Hello, Stranger: How Doorbell Cameras in North Texas Are Helping Police and Residents Catch Bad Guys
Dallas Morning News, (04/10/2019), Charles Scudder
This article looks at how community residents and local police departments work cooperatively together to use doorbell cameras and the Neighbors app to fight crime. Footage from the cameras can help combat “porch pirates,” car burglars, residential break-ins and more.
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Oneida County Unveils New Tool to Fight Opioid Deaths
Observer-Dispatch, (04/18/2019), Amy Neff Roth
At a recent press conference, Oneida County, N.Y., announced plans to use the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program to track both fatal and non-fatal overdose incidents. A lack of real-time data has hindered local efforts to combat the opioid epidemic; ODMAP data will help facilitate quick responses from local government, law enforcement and human service agencies.
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Officers Take Part in 25th Year of Bike Patrol Training
Emporia Gazette, (04/20/2019), Lydia Kautz
The Lyon County (Kan.) Sheriff’s Office recently continued a 25-year tradition by offering bike officer training to officers from nearby jurisdictions. The training covers such tactics as using a firearm while riding, and maneuvering up and down stairs, but the greatest emphasis is on how bike officers can build community connections through their accessibility.
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Police Training Evolves as Scientists Study the Trauma of Rape
The News & Observer, (04/22/2019), Kate Martin for the Carolina Public Press
This article takes an in-depth look at a new trend in training for handling sexual assault investigations. Training programs that help officers understand how victims mentally process and recall trauma, and teach them appropriate interviewing techniques, have proven beneficial in successfully investigating and processing sexual assault cases.
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Safety in Schools: How a Yakima Program Could Help Guide a New Statewide Network
Yakima Herald-Republic, (04/23/2019), Janelle Retka
This article presents a profile of the School Safety Operations and Coordination Center in Washington’s Educational Service District 105, a regional school district encompassing Yakima County. The center is a potential model for a series of similar centers to be created throughout the state under pending legislation. The center monitors school safety efforts, school safety plans and logs school drills, among other services.
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Corrections News

As Oregon Inmates Age, Lawmakers Prepare for Rising Healthcare Costs
Salem Reporter, (04/19/2019), Claire Withycombe
This article takes an in-depth look at Oregon’s long-range planning for dealing with a rapidly aging prison population. The state is considering re-opening a closed facility specifically for geriatric inmates. Other issues to consider are the high cost of overtime incurred in transporting inmates to outside health care and the lack of advanced medical resources inside the state’s facilities.
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Tentative Settlement Agreement Reached in Lawsuit Over Prison Video Visitation
Houston Chronicle, (04/19/2019), Keri Blakinger
This article details the lawsuit filed by a Ft. Worth man who claimed his video visits with his brother in an Ohio correctional facility were repeatedly cut short. For individuals with family members incarcerated hundreds of miles away, video visits, although costly, are the only way to maintain contact. Under the settlement, the vendor will offer a free credit to anyone who used the system since 2009.
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Nebraska Corrections Offers $3K Bonus to Work at Certain Prisons, Citing Record-high Need, Turnover
Omaha World-Herald, (04/22/2019), Paul Hamel
The first 100 new employees who stay at least a year at four Nebraska correctional facilities identified as having significant staffing problems – Tecumseh, the State Penitentiary, the Lincoln Correctional Center and the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln – will receive $3,000 bonuses. In addition to the bonuses, the state plans to offer incentives for referring and supervising new staff, both part of an effort to combat high turnover rates.
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A Joint Law Enforcement Operation Targets Contraband at Holman Prison
Alabama Political Reporter, (04/23/2019), Brandon Moseley
Alabama Department of Corrections investigations and intelligence agents, emergency response teams and K-9 drug units recently conducted an operation to find and remove illegal contraband from the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, a maximum security facility with 870 inmates. ADOC has recently come under fire as the result of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.
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