Law Enforcement Technology

FORENSICSStudy Opens the Door for Stronger Evidence in Bomb Handling Cases
Scientists have for the first time provided insight into how bomb residue transfers to the hands of suspects, which could lead to stronger evidence in court.
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LAW ENFORCEMENTThe DEA Once Touted Body Cameras for Their “Enhanced Transparency.” Now the Agency Is Abandoning Them.
By Mario Ariza
An internal email obtained by ProPublica said the agency made the change to be “consistent” with a Trump executive order. But at least two other federal law enforcement agencies are still requiring body cameras.
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SURVEILLANCEFrom Help to Harm: How the Government Is Quietly Repurposing Everyone’s Data for Surveillance
By Nicole M. Bennett
The data that people provide to U.S. government agencies for public services such as tax filing, health care enrollment, unemployment assistance and education support is increasingly being redirected toward surveillance and law enforcement.
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BIOMETRICSSecurity Veins: Advanced Biometric Authentication Through AI and Infrared
Hyperspectral imaging and AI can identify individuals using blood vessels in palms.
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SURVEILANCESpyware Is Spreading Far Beyond Its National-Security Role
By Angela Suriyasenee
Spyware is increasingly exploited by criminals or used to suppress civil liberties, and this proliferation is in part due to weak regulation.
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SURVEILANCEThe U.K. Demands for Apple to Break Encryption Is an Emergency for Us All
By Thorin Klosowski
The United Kingdom is demanding that Apple create an encryption backdoor to give the government access to end-to-end encrypted data in iCloud. Encryption is one of the best ways we have to reclaim our privacy and security in a digital world filled with cyberattacks and security breaches, and there’s no way to weaken it in order to only provide access to the “good guys.”
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AIRPORT SECURITYReimagining Imaging at the Airport
The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are collaborating on Advanced Imaging Technology to improve the passenger screening experience.
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BIOMETRICSAI-driven Gait Analysis Bridges Health Care and Security Fields
By Rhiannon Koch
The analysis of a person’s individual walking pattern, or gait, can reveal details about their identity and reflect differences between individuals, groups and even populations.
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SHOT DETECTIONDozens of Cities Are Paying for Gunshot Detection Tech They May Not Need
By Jennifer Mascia
A new analysis by The Trace identified cities across the country that are using ShotSpotter despite averaging fewer than one shooting a month in which someone was killed or injured.
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AIFTC Rightfully Acts Against So-Called “AI Weapon Detection” Company Evolv
By Matthew Guariglia and Cooper Quintin
The Federal Trade Commission has entered a settlement with self-styled “weapon detection” company Evolv, to resolve the FTC’s claim that the company “knowingly” and repeatedly” engaged in “unlawful” acts of misleading claims about their technology.
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PRIVACYEFF Tells the Second Circuit a Second Time That Electronic Device Searches at the Border Require a Warrant
By Sophia Cope
The number of warrantless device searches at the border and the significant invasion of privacy they represent is only increasing. In Fiscal Year 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) conducted 41,767 device searches.
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FENTANYLHigh-Tech Methods to Stem the Flow of Fentanyl
By Tom Rickey
Keeping up with illicit labs churning out new forms of fentanyl, nitazenes is the goal.
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AI & CRIMEHow AI Can Enhance the Accuracy of Eyewitness Identification
By Katy Marquardt Hill
AI and natural language processing can provide deeper insights into eyewitness reliability. “Just because someone says they’re confident doesn’t mean they’re right. The worst mistakes come from highly confident witnesses who are actually wrong,” one expert said.
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FORENSICSU.K. Courts Are Getting It Wrong on Eyewitness Evidence: Study
A ‘pivotal shift’ in how UK Courts view eyewitness evidence is needed according to new research. Researchers found an almost unanimous shift in beliefs about the relationship between eyewitness confidence and accuracy.
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SURVEILLANCEWeak "Guardrails" on Police Face Recognition Use Make Things Worse
By Hayley Tsukayama
Police use of face recognition technology (FRT) poses a particularly massive risk to our civil liberties, particularly for Black men and women and other marginalized communities.
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