-
Texas county police buys drone that can carry weapons
The police in Montgomery County — and area north of Houston, Texas — is the first local police in the United States to deploy a drone that can carry weapons; the police says it will be used in chases of escaping criminals and tracking drug shipments
-
-
"The Dragon" makes life difficult for first responders
For emergency personnel in Tennessee, responding to calls on “The Dragon,” an unforgiving 11.1 mile stretch of highway, is no easy task; the Dragon consists of 318 sharp curves through hilly terrain making it treacherous for drivers and a nightmare for first responders; each year there are several fatal crashes and since 2005 the desolate road has been the scene of at least forty injury crashes a year
-
-
Dallas County homeland security director fired
Last week, in a sudden announcement, Dallas County’s homeland security director Lisa Chambers was fired; Chambers believes the decision may have been political, pointing to her refusal to conduct a sweep of Dapheny Fain’s home for surveillance devices following an FBI raid in June
-
-
Army Reserve could soon take on homeland security missions
The House and the Senate are currently debating legislation that would allow the Army Reserve to be deployed for homeland security missions
-
-
Colorado reorganizes homeland security
On Wednesday the state of Colorado announced that it was reorganizing its homeland security operations
-
-
Also noted
Tennessee Becomes First State To Fight Terrorism Statewide | Scientists develop explosive disposal technology | Earthquakes in western U.S. May Raise Disaster Awareness | Insurance price surge in no-flood zones in Australia | MIT political scientist discusses border security | Some Cheer U.S.-Mexico Border Fence as Others Ponder the Cost | Plan to screen trucks may ease U.S.-Canada traffic
-
-
New Jersey approves two Tasers under stricter safety regulations
Following the increasingly controversial use of Tasers in which several individuals died after being stunned, New Jersey has approved of two new Taser models that comply with new safety standards
-
-
DC officials receive priority disaster phone access
During major disasters or a terrorist attack, phone lines quickly become inundated with traffic which makes it nearly impossible for residents to make calls or send texts; to ensure that local officials have the ability to communicate during disasters, DHS recently issued special calling cards to members of the Washington, D.C. City Council that allow their calls to take priority during moments of heavy phone traffic
-
-
Michigan to launch cyber command center and defense teams
To help boost the state’s economy and its role in securing the nation’s data networks, Michigan recently announced that it plans to launch a cyber command center and cyber defense response teams
-
-
N.Y. businesses protest DHS budget cuts
On Monday more than 100 New York City business executives urged lawmakers to maintain current DHS spending levels to prevent a future terrorist attack in the city; their business people move comes in response to the latest proposed budget for DHS by the House which looks to cut more than $1 billion, or 2.6 percent, of the agency’s budget; meanwhile the Senate has proposed cutting more than $650 million from DHS’ 2011 budget of $41 billion
-
-
Tallahassee airport upgrades security
ADT Commercial was selected by the City of Tallahassee, Florida to upgrade the security at the city airport — and integrate the different security solutions; the integrated system includes video surveillance, access control, and emergency notification systems
-
-
Alabama explores shirt-cameras for police
With the increasing availability of cheap wearable cameras, more and more police officers could be recording their every move
-
-
Colorado slashes auto-theft rate with fusion center
In 2005 Colorado had one of the highest rates of vehicle theft in the country, but thanks to the dogged efforts of local law enforcement officials and the Auto Theft Intelligence Coordination Center the state is now below the national average
-
-
Mississippi wildlife officers want bigger guns
The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks says it needs bigger guns; the agency hopes to purchase 250 high-powered AR-15 assault rifles to boost its crime fighting power and is currently accepting bids
-
-
Defying governor, Mass. officials seek to join Secure Communities
Local law enforcement officials and state lawmakers are increasingly working to circumvent Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick’s decision to opt out of the controversial Secure Communities immigration program; last Wednesday U.S Senator Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts) called on DHS secretary Janet Napolitano to allow the state to join Secure Communities without Governor Patrick’s approval; Under Secure Communities, a detained individual’s fingerprints are automatically scanned and checked against DHS and FBI databases to determine their immigration status
-
More headlines
The long view
States Rush to Combat AI Threat to Elections
This year’s presidential election will be the first since generative AI became widely available. That’s raising fears that millions of voters could be deceived by a barrage of political deepfakes. Congress has done little to address the issue, but states are moving aggressively to respond — though questions remain about how effective any new measures to combat AI-created disinformation will be.