Archive for the ‘Law Enforcement technology’ Category

Article: Police back bill saying video evidence not always true

Posted: February 20, 2017 by cworboy1493 in Bad Cops, cameras in court, Good Cops, Greg Clark, Law Enforcement technology
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EVERYONE is concerned about crime. That’s no secret. It’s debatable whether or not there is more crime today than in the past, but people generally feel more unsafe today; perhaps because they see and hear more media coverage about crime.

Most people are not tracing the trend though and do not perceive that criminals today are really racing against technology. Reports show local police department acquiring more military grade equipment and technology to fight crime. In a few years, this investment in technology will reduce crime as long as police departments are able to keep up with processing the results they will obtain from their new toys. Over time suspect identification and evidence gathering will become more and more sophisticated from the proliferation and use of cameras and other tracking devices that your average young or middle-class offender will stand little chance of escaping detection when committing crimes.

Locally, the Rockford Police Department is working to obtain more street cameras and a means to immediately identify gunshot  source locations. On the one hand, communities are in support of police attempts to beef up technology. On the other hand, at some point in the future, community citizens may end up finding police technology intrusive and themselves lacking any protection about it and it’s potential misuse.

While Rockford Police Chief O’Shea publicly works to get more equipment, most Rockfordians don’t know that the Rockford Police Department has also quietly discontinued it’s program for police officers to use body cameras. The department now claims body cameras are not a priority and are too expensive to implement.

Police departments across the nation support body cameras for police because they generally find them helpful in defending their departments against allegations of physical abuse against arrestees. However, Rockford abandoned them during their pilot project roll-out and never even gave them a chance to work.

Read, an issue of concern: Some police Departments regressing against use of body cameras

From the Article:

“…Mann said he does still believe body-worn cameras are an effective tool for police officers.

Defense attorneys and civil rights groups say the proposed script would give officers a blueprint to explain away misconduct documented on video.

Heather Hamel, executive director of Arizona Justice That Works, a group dedicated to ending mass incarceration, said reading officers the statement about video is effectively witness tampering.

“It’s going to impact the integrity of investigations involving police misconduct or potential police misconduct. It’s going to feed officers potential excuses to explain away their behavior,” Hamel said…”

Prove innocence of innocent – Times Union

Posted: July 20, 2013 by scaryhouse in "Eyewitness Testimony", Law Enforcement technology, Police Misconduct, Terrible Wrongs - Other Cases, The Causes of Wrongful Convictions, Uncategorized
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There is reason for the public to shudder at the high number of wrongful convictions coming out of the state’s judicial system, even if they are not your hands gripping the steel uprights of a prison cell.

It means that real perpetrators are free to commit more crimes.

“The consequences are too grave for not using available, proven methods of preventing wrongful convictions,” said Stephen Saloom, policy director for the past eight and a half years of the Innocence Project. “It’s outrageous.”

What Saloom referred to was the failure, once again, of the New York state Legislature to enact reforms that would require law enforcement and prosecutors to videotape interrogations and use double blind lineups.

Bills requiring both methods be used and taught to police trainees died in committees.

“We know that our criminal justice system relies on unreliable forms of evidence — false confessions and eyewitness misidentification — proven methods are readily available and prosecutors and law enforcement don’t want to be required to use them,” Saloom said.

via Prove innocence of innocent – Times Union.

Cellphone tracking: Police must obtain warrants, N.J. court says – CSMonitor.com

Posted: July 20, 2013 by scaryhouse in Govt Surveillance, Law Enforcement technology, Uncategorized
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Highlighting once again America’s struggle with government surveillance and personal privacy in the digital age, the New Jersey Supreme Court announced “a new rule of law” on Thursday, forbidding police to obtain a suspect’s cellphone data without a warrant.

The decision comes in the aftermath of Edward Snowden’s leak of government secrets that revealed massive government surveillance programs. Among other things, the programs allow law enforcement officials to collect “metadata” from phone companies – a practice that has just been reauthorized by a secret US court that oversees intelligence activities.

The ruling also comes at a time when state courts and legislatures across the United States are grappling with the murky legal principles governing state laws about police surveillance and privacy. Breathtaking changes in technology mean that a GPS-enabled smart phone can now reveal razor-sharp details about a person’s movements, thus quickly changing traditional notions of privacy. Technological advancements have also made it easier for local police to obtain information from service providers.

via Cellphone tracking: Police must obtain warrants, N.J. court says – CSMonitor.com.

New Ford Police Interceptor technology to protect Boys in Blue

Posted: July 20, 2013 by scaryhouse in Govt Surveillance, Law Enforcement technology, Uncategorized
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Ford is adding new technology to its Police Interceptors to raise security levels for constables working in squad cars – especially late at night – removing the threat of surreptitious approach from behind.Combining existing elements of driver assistance technology, the system uses the rearview camera, cross traffic monitoring and parking assistance to create a rear security zone when activated.When on, the system uses its sensors to continually monitor the rear of the cruiser, setting off an audible alarm, rolling up windows and locking all doors if an intruder is detected.

via New Ford Police Interceptor technology to protect Boys in Blue