-
Local towns signing up for Twitter and Facebook for emergency comm.
Following the lead of several other cities and federal agencies, the town of Wilton, Connecticut recently launched a Facebook page and Twitter account to help communicate with residents and share information during a disaster
-
-
Yellow Dot gets medical info to first responders fast
Emergency officials in Alabama recently introduced a new program aimed at quickly providing first responders with critical information during accidents; in the event of a car accident, first responders will be able immediately to find vital medical information on victims by simply looking in their glove compartment
-
-
FBI adds biometrics to national databases to improve accuracy
To help improve the speed and accuracy of its national criminal records database, the FBI is increasingly incorporating biometrics technology
-
-
U.S. Marines train in collect biometrics, evidence
U.S. Marines train in an “Afghan” city built inside a California Marines base; they train in foot-patrols, room clearing, and search operations where they collected biometric data and other evidence on citizens displaying suspicious behavior or possessing contraband
-
-
K-9 units outfitted with GPS collars
Thanks to new GPS collars, Michigan State police officers are now able to keep track of their canine partners and locate them or their handlers if they become lost or injured
-
-
Dogs of war: the role of canines in the Second World War
A new book examines how dogs were used by the U.S. and Japanese militaries during the Second World War; the book goes beyond the battlefield duties of these four-legged soldiers and captures how dogs like New York City’s “Skippy” and Tokyo’s “Aren” mobilized their people to their nations’ causes
-
-
Chicago emergency officials preparing for harsh winter
As Chicago braces for an especially brutal winter, the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is doing its best to prepare residents, emergency responders, and work crews for the worst weather in the nation
-
-
Autonomous deployment vehicles in flight tests
The Autonomous Deployment Demonstration (ADD) program has successfully completed flight tests; the ADD concept is to enable small unmanned air vehicles (UAV) equipped with sensor payloads to be launched from aircraft (manned or unmanned), balloons, or precision guided munitions, and dispersed in selectable patterns around designated areas
-
-
New Jersey teams with Target for disaster response
During the next major disaster, New Jersey emergency responders will receive assistance from the big box retailer Target; last week the company announced that it had officially teamed up with New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness to assist state and local officials in the event of a major disaster or terrorist attack
-
-
NFL implements enhanced security procedures, fans grumble
Football fans across the country are now being subjected to additional security measures before they are allowed to enter a stadium to watch their team play
-
-
Protecting first responders from a quiet killer
Emergency responders in Flagstaff, Gilbert, and Chandler, Arizona recently underwent a battery of medical tests to help minimize the risk of having a stroke or heart attack while in the line of duty; 44 percent of all firefighter deaths were the result of heart attacks, which is the leading killer of firefighters
-
-
DHS to equip border agents with new body armor
The Customs and Border Protection buys $48,629,750 worth of personal body armor from North Carolina-based KDH Defense systems
-
-
Encrypted police broadcasts sparks battle
With advances in technology it is now possible for ordinary citizens to cheaply and easily listen in on police broadcasts, which is why law enforcement agencies across the country are working to shield their communications systems
-
-
Raytheon tests smallest air-launched weapon in its portfolio
Unmanned vehicles continue to evolve, and defense contractors build munitions form them; Raytheon has completed captive carry tests of its Small Tactical Munition Phase II configuration, paving the way for flight tests
-
-
British law enforcement exploits flaw in iTunes to spy
British law enforcement agencies and Apple are coming under sharp criticism after it was discovered that authorities exploited a security flaw in iTunes to spy on individuals
-
The long view
AI-Controlled Fighter Jets May Be Closer Than We Think — and Would Change the Face of Warfare
Could we be on the verge of an era where fighter jets take flight without pilots – and are controlled by artificial intelligence (AI)? US R Adm Michael Donnelly recently said that an upcoming combat jet could be the navy’s last one with a pilot in the cockpit.
What We’ve Learned from Survivors of the Atomic Bombs
Q&A with Dr. Preetha Rajaraman, New Vice Chair for the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
Need for National Information Clearinghouse for Cybercrime Data, Categorization of Cybercrimes: Report
There is an acute need for the U.S. to address its lack of overall governance and coordination of cybercrime statistics. A new report recommends that relevant federal agencies create or designate a national information clearinghouse to draw information from multiple sources of cybercrime data and establish connections to assist in criminal investigations.
Autonomous Weapon Systems: No Human-in-the-Loop Required, and Other Myths Dispelled
“The United States has a strong policy on autonomy in weapon systems that simultaneously enables their development and deployment and ensures they could be used in an effective manner, meaning the systems work as intended, with the same minimal risk of accidents or errors that all weapon systems have,” Michael Horowitz writes.
Twenty-One Things That Are True in Los Angeles
To understand the dangers inherent in deploying the California National Guard – over the strenuous objections of the California governor – and active-duty Marines to deal with anti-ICE protesters, we should remind ourselves of a few elementary truths, writes Benjamin Wittes. Among these truths: “Not all lawful exercises of authority are wise, prudent, or smart”; “Not all crimes require a federal response”; “Avoiding tragic and unnecessary confrontations is generally desirable”; and “It is thus unwise, imprudent, and stupid to take actions for performative reasons that one might reasonably anticipate would increase the risks of such confrontations.”
Luigi Mangione and the Making of a ‘Terrorist’
Discretion is crucial to the American tradition of criminal law, Jacob Ware and Ania Zolyniak write, noting that “lawmakers enact broader statutes to empower prosecutors to pursue justice while entrusting that they will stay within the confines of their authority and screen out the inevitable “absurd” cases that may arise.” Discretion is also vital to maintaining the legitimacy of the legal system. In the prosecution’s case against Luigi Mangione, they charge, “That discretion was abused.”