• E-textiles now come with memory-storing fiber

    E-textiles could help soldiers, first responders — but also the sick and infirm; the integration of electronics into textiles is a growing field of research that may soon enable smart fabrics and wearable electronics

  • Study shows surveillance cameras reduce crime, in some cases

    A recent study found that security cameras in urban areas have had mixed results in preventing crime; the study aimed to determine whether installing surveillance cameras to reduce crime is an effective use of scarce resources, especially with states struggling with soaring budget deficits and police departments facing steep cuts; the study found that the efficacy of cameras varies and is largely dependent upon how the surveillance system is set up and monitored

  • Aussies want license plate-readers connected to drones

    Canberra law enforcement authorities want to begin using UAVs together with license plate readers to track, autonomously, vehicles of interest; the police is considering using speed-detection systems to detect stolen cars or unregistered vehicles — and even integrate them into a broader surface-to-air surveillance network

  • Security professionals gear up for GovSec West

    Security professionals from across the country are slated to descend upon Phoenix, Arizona for the GovSec West security conference in November; attendees will have the opportunity to participate in educational sessions that focus on securing critical infrastructure, cyber threats, terrorism, and border security

  • Shells tracked by radar

    With the high costs of live fire training, the Pentagon wanted a shell-scoring system, and commissioned Cambridge Consultants to develop one; after fourteen months of development, the company unveiled its holographic radar scoring system, the Land and Surface Target Scorer (LSTS)

  • Anti-magnet: to protect ships' hulls from mines

    Researchers have created a new type of magnetic cloak which shields objects from magnetic fields — at the same time that it prevents any internal magnetic fields from leaking out; this “antimagnet” could be used to protect a ship’s hulls from mines that detonate when a magnetic field is detected

  • The Certified Protection Officer (CPO) 8th Edition launched

    The updated version of a training course for Certified Protection Officers is now available online; the course and exam provide candidates with the IFPO certification; the course offers training in security technology, laws, trends, and techniques

  • U.S. looks to keep Libyan WMD scientists away from terrorists

    With Libyan rebels consolidating their hold over the country, the United States is looking to restart a State Department program designed to keep top Libyan biological and nuclear scientists from working for terrorist organizations or hostile nations; Libya’s new leaders have expressed their interest in working with the United States to keep track of Libyan WMD scientists and on other counter-proliferation programs, but the interim government has yet formally to respond to U.S. requests

  • To catch a "flash mob"

    Catching “flash mobs” has proven to be particularly troublesome for local police officers as they occur and then dissipate so rapidly, but now local authorities are receiving some extra help from DHS

  • Ogden, Utah police first-in-nation to use surveillance blimp

    A patrol car fitted with all of the police extras cost $40,000; a surveillance blimp will cost well below that — possibly as low as $15,000; after that, it is $100 a week to keep it filled with helium and charge its electric batteries; the police in Ogden, Utah, decides this is a good deal

  • Denver holds Operation Mountain Guardian drill

    The city of Denver, Colorado plays host to a massive terror-attack simulation involving over 100 emergency services organizations; the largest drill of its kind in the region is intended to ‘stress-test” the planning and resources of local first responders

  • Why the Twin Towers collapsed: new theory

    Materials scientist says that a mixture of water from sprinkler systems and molten aluminum from melted aircraft hulls created explosions that led to the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11

  • Challenging conventional wisdom on border security

    Two new papers say that if the United States is serious about border security, then instead of building bigger walls or throwing more resources at empty enforcement efforts, the United States should adopt strategies that address real threats to U.S. border security — drug cartels

  • Saving victims trapped under concrete

    New tool allow first responders to reach those trapped beneath concrete more quickly; the tool generates a high-energy jolt to create a contained hole in the concrete; a series of these holes allows the creation of an area large enough to deliver vital supplies such as food, water, and medicine to victims before first responders are able to get victims to safety.

  • Maintaining water quality

    Scientists at Kansas State University and seven other collaborating institutions were recently awarded $3.3 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct a-large scale study of how stream organisms influence water quality across North America