• 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

  • Connecticut town considers charging centers for power outages

    Following Hurricane Irene which left thousands without power up and down the East Coast, a town in Connecticut is considering building several charging stations for residents to power up their hand held electronics during a natural disaster or prolonged power outage

  • NYPD has means to take down a plane "in very extreme situation"

    The NYPD created a counterterrorism unit following the 9/11 attacks; New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that the counterterrorism unit has the means to take down an aircraft “in a very extreme situation”

  • Georgia shows app that prepares state residents, guides them to safety

    New Ready Georgia mobile app uses geo-location to deliver alerts, create emergency plans, and show shelter locations; from up-to-the-minute weather and hazard alerts based on a user’
    ‘s location, to customizable emergency preparedness checklists, the app combines a set of features not previously available in one mobile application

  • Task force releases Secure Communities report amid internal discord

    Last week, a government task force created to offer recommendations on how to fix the controversial Secure Communities immigration program released its findings to a chorus of internal disagreement; the committee recommended that DHS restart Secure Communities and “reintroduce” the program due to its unpopularity among immigration advocates, local residents, as well as state and local officials; as an act of protest, five of the nineteen committee members resigned because they did not agree with the report’s conclusions

  • ASIS 2011 -- combating cyber extremists

    At this year’s ASIS International conference, security experts will explore the effect of the Internet on terrorism, how extremist organizations are using it, and what can be done to stop it; the web has largely proven to be a boon to society, but malicious actors like terrorists have used the Internet to disseminate their radical ideas, recruit new members, and share weapons and bomb building training manuals; terrorist websites have proven to be reliable sources for intelligence as well as dangerous meeting places, but shutting them down has proven to be more complicated than anticipated

  • Michigan creates cyber and physical infrastructure protection department

    The state of Michigan is now merging responsibility for both physical and digital infrastructure protection under one organization

  • Emergency communication remains a challenge ten years after 9/11

    Chris Russo, a twenty-five year firefighting veteran, a 9/11 first responder, and the founder of ELERTS Corporation, discusses the challenges first responders face in communicating with each other in major disasters, the lack of progress made to create an inter-operable system for emergency responders, and how technology is changing how authorities communicate and interact with the public during major disasters

  • California lawmakers approve Dream Act

    Last week California legislators approved a controversial bill that would allow undocumented workers to receive state loans for college

  • Michigan could dodge defense cuts

    With Congress seeking to make potential cuts in defense spending and contractors bracing for reductions across the country, Michigan’s $385 billion defense industrial base remains optimistic as it could get by unscathed; key lawmakers say the types of services that Michigan’s defense industry provides could keep it from becoming the target of the newly formed Joint Selection Committee on Deficit Reduction