06.06.2013
CCTV, crime, Information sharing, law enforcement, public safety, security, Technology
This was my second year attending LEIM and certainly the most enjoyable as the setting for this year was the beautiful Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Hotel. Coming from a country (Ireland) that has been deprived of good summers for the last few years, I was overwhelmed by the glorious sunshine.
As I walked around the beautiful grounds of the Fairmont Princess, enjoying the heat, I took in the perfectly manicured lawns, the towering cactus displays and the perfect little bunnies. This was just heaven and so far away from the cold, rainy Dublin I had left some days previous.
I’m glad to say as I write this from my kitchen in Dublin; the sun is streaming in the window, and is bringing back memories of Scottsdale!
I discarded my swimsuit and dressed more appropriately for the Opening Ceremony of LEIM 2013. Scott Edson, the past year’s Chair, opened LEIM with a warm welcome for everyone and a brief outline of the next few days events and sessions. He was joined by Alan G. Rodbell, Chief of Police, Scottsdale and Bart Johnson, Executive Director, IACP; they too gave a brief introduction and welcomed all.
After the opening I went along to my first plenary session of LEIM, The Evolving Role of Technology in Policing. This sessions also included results from the previous days Information Technology (IT) summit. Tom Casady spoke about technology changes over the years and how it changed law enforcement.
- The telephone was a big innovation from the 1930’s, and is still a critical tool today.
- Cars and motorcycles changed everything for the average policeman patrolling the street on foot.. Harley Davidson credits Detroit, Michigan as being the first purchaser of police motorcycles as early as 1908. The use of cars and motor cycles by police was widespread by the 1930’s.
- Two-way radio with the invention of the Motorola Police Cruiser Radio Receiver in 1936 again changed policing for the better. This was a rugged one-way car radio designed to receive police broadcasts. These have of course evolved into the Police Scanners we know today.
- In 1968 the first 911 call centre began where people could contact police on a simple but easy number to remember, in an emergency. This highly successful contact is still used to this day.
- The typewriter was used from the early 20th century and of course has evolved from the 1960’s, to the computers and laptops that are used today.
- Finally, in 1974, the stun gun was invented. It became an invaluable tool to subdue fleeing or potentially dangerous persons, and gives officers a less lethal alternative to firearms in many situations. As many lives as it has saved, it is still a subject of controversy, as it’s use has been implicated in some instances of serious injury or death. But having seen its use over the years, and in particular, the British police recently using this device to subdue the two terrorists responsible for the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich on May 22nd, I do agree with police being armed with them.
Of course technology has evolved from all this, to the brilliance of what we have today. From Cell phones, Laptops, Augmented Reality, Wearable Technology, i.e.: Cameras, Voice Recognition, Facial Recognition, Predictive Analytics, DNA Biometrics, Embedded GPS and to Social Media using Twitter and Facebook as a means of getting information from the public at the time and place of a crime or disaster.
There are a few articles and more information on this subject below:
Stay tuned for a couple more blog postings about the 2013 LEIM Conference.
Thanks…r/Mary
21.06.2012
Analysis, CCTV, public safety, security threats, video, video surveillance
This is one presentation I definitely wanted to attend at LEIM. Yes, the real Police of Baltimore were here. Not McNulty and his gang from The Wire, but Deputy Commissioner John Skinner and members of the Baltimore Police Force came to discuss how they are combating violence in Baltimore using video technology.
Deputy Skinner opened up the presentation to tell us that quite a few years ago, Baltimore was America’s Murder capital. In 1995, there was an estimated 1 homicide per day in Baltimore. By 2011 this was down to 197 in a year. Since 2007 they have achieved a 35% reduction in non-fatal shootings and juvenile homicides have decreased since 2008. By using technology, Baltimore Police have achieved historical lows in violent crime, whilst reducing budgets they have redirected the resources they have at the Police Department.
Gayle Guilford, Systems Director for Baltimore PD explained the Side Partner Project. This initiative came out in 2009. The aim was to ‘get Police out of their cars and back into the community’. Gayle spoke about years ago, when Officers would ‘walk the beat’, and be an integral part of the community. They knew people by name, and would walk around the neighborhoods, speaking to people and generally being involved in the daily life around them. This was comforting for people, and they trusted their Police.
Since taking police of the streets and into patrol cars, citizens have become distanced from the police and possibly lost the trust that was once had. To combat this and to get the Police back onto the streets, Blackberry phones with a “Pocket Cop” application were handed out to the Officers. With the phone in their hand, they can carry out checks on warrants, driving records and photographs. It also tells them who they should be looking out for, and what their daily priorities are.
The system also allows Officers to start taking evidence such as photos and streaming video before the forensic teams arrive. This is very useful in domestic violence situations. They can immediately upload evidence and get information out to other officers who can assist if they are nearby, if they have to look for a suspect, they will have a photograph to help them.
The application is also wired up to GPS and Google maps. This can tell Police dispatchers where officers are located and their availability to respond to a situation. Gayle hopes that future budgets will allow that every Police Officer will have a blackberry in the next few years.
Next to speak was Lt. Hood, Director of Law Enforcement Operation for CitiWatch in Baltimore PD. Lt. Hood is one of those types of people that are immediately likeable, and when he began his presentation on CCTV, I was enthralled.
The CitiWatch program is one of America’s most sophisticated surveillance networks in operation. It started off with 50 cameras and now has over 500 across Baltimore City. The cameras are monitored by the Criminal Intelligence Watch Center inside the Baltimore PD, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by specially trained CCTV operators, mainly retired Police Officers.
Extra staff are used at weekends to monitor the busiest times, especially at night. Lt Hood likes using retired Police as they have the knowledge and are also trained on a variety of subjects including radio communications and uniform crime reporting.
CitiWatch cameras records footage, which is stored for 28 days and then archived off site. Video footage is crucial in identifying suspects and capturing evidence in many crimes. Lt Hood then proceeded to show us some footage, in which the Police were able to make subsequent arrests and help also to prevent certain criminal acts.
In many instances where a crime was being committed, it was monitored by staff, and Police were alerted to see who was the nearest to where the crime was taking place. They could then go to the scene and take control of the situation.
Many would feel that we have reached the ‘Big Brother is watching you’ stage considering how many cities around the world are using camera technology, but in reality those cameras are not there to spy on the public, but instead are there to help us and keep us safe by watching out for the bad guys.
Lt. Hood and his team proved this. I spend a lot of time in Baltimore, and I am happy that Lt. Hood is watching out for us, and I for one walked away from that presentation feeling a little bit safer.
For more information and to find out more about Baltimore Police check out:
www.baltimorepolice.org
Till next time…
r/Mary