Submitted: 12/27/2011 8:00 AM
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), University of Texas at Dallas (UTDallas), and Purdue University announce a 5-year, $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation ( NSF) for new cyber security research. Under the direction of principal investigator Ravi Sandhu, executive director of the UTSA Institute for Cyber Security and professor of computer science, the researchers will study assured data provenance, the discipline of computer science concerned with the integrity and privacy of data sources, contents, and successive transformations.
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Submitted: 12/22/2011 8:00 AM
Federal agencies have saved nearly $4 billion in the past year through TechStat reviews that resulted in scaling back or canceling information technology projects that are over budget or delayed, officials said recently. The TechStat model, aimed at weeding out underperforming contracts, was launched by former federal chief information officer Vivek Kundra in 2010. Kundra credited those reviews--essentially adapt-or-perish presentations by project managers of red-flag projects in front of agency IT leaders and Kundra himself--with saving the government $3 billion.
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Submitted: 12/21/2011 8:00 AM
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System ( NamUs) Program Manager Charles Heurich of the National Institute of Justice and the NamUs team were awarded the 2011 Justice and Law Enforcement Medal for the creation of namus.gov. This medal, which is part of the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals program, recognizes a federal employee for a significant contribution to the nation in activities related to justice and law enforcement. NamUs is a clearinghouse for missing persons and unidentified decedent records. NamUs is a free online system that can be searched by medical examiners, coroners, law enforcement officials, and the general public to solve these cases. The two NamUs databases (unidentified human remains and missing persons) are fully searchable.
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Submitted: 12/20/2011 8:00 AM
Agencies must create a plan to move at least two agency-specific information technology services to shared interagency platforms by the end of 2012, according to the draft version of federal Chief Information Officer Steven VanRoekel's shared services strategy released recently. The draft strategy also requires agency IT leaders to create plans for how and where they can convert to shared services during the next year and directs them to shift "the 'default setting' for IT investment decisions from the development of new components to the utilization of existing resources."
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Submitted: 12/19/2011 8:00 AM
Mexico's federal police commissioner says that information sharing between police forces in the Americas has increased by 55 percent during the past year. Police Commissioner Facundo Rosas says the growing exchange of data is a sign of increasing police cooperation and mutual assistance in the battle against drug cartels.
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Submitted: 12/16/2011 8:00 AM
The Department of Defense ( DOD) aims to streamline how its millions of personnel and thousands of IT systems share information by standardizing data sharing through the use of the semantic Web. The Defense Information Systems Agency ( DISA), which provides IT services to the DOD, is seeking ideas for how to improve what it calls "enterprise information visibility," which refers to how easily data can be shared, analyzed, and reported across the myriad systems the DOD employs.
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Submitted: 12/15/2011 8:00 AM
Designed by practitioners, for practitioners, the LEIM Section of IACP has hosted law enforcement chief executives, commanders, operational practitioners, technical developers, and industry representatives since 1977. The conference is designed to share leading practices and lessons learned in the innovative application of technology to improve officer and public safety, to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of operations, and to build enterprise-wide information sharing capabilities. In addition to plenary sessions and concurrent panel presentations, the LEIM Conference includes a Technology Exposition Hall, which features Industry Leading Technology Solution Providers. The 2012 LEIM Conference is being hosted in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 21 –23, 2012.
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Submitted: 12/14/2011 8:00 AM
Bureau of Justice Assistance partner, IJIS Institute, presents an authoritative update on the justice, public safety, and homeland security information sharing and IT market at its semi-annual Industry Briefing. Join us on January 18 –20, 2012, for the Winter Industry Briefing in Washington, DC. This briefing will provide a detailed look at information sharing and national initiatives that impact our nation’s safety and security. It will include multiple breakout sessions for technical staff and executives. And it will provide extensive networking opportunities with industry and government attendees.
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Submitted: 12/13/2011 8:00 AM
This report is based on the activities of the Digital Communities program, a network of public- and private-sector IT professionals who are working to improve local governments’ delivery of public service through the use of digital technology. The program — a partnership between Government Technology and e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government — consists of task forces that meet online and in person to exchange information on important issues local government IT professionals face.
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Submitted: 12/12/2011 8:00 AM
In partnership with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Public Safety Canada, and the Centre for Security Sciences, CATAAlliance is pleased to host a Canadian Law Enforcement Data Exchange Forum on the implementation of the National Information Exchange Model ( NIEM) following CITIG's Fifth Canadian Public Safety Interoperability Forum.
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Submitted: 12/9/2011 8:00 AM
The Bureau of Justice Assistance’s National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) invites you to participate in December’s Webinar on training and technical assistance, as part of our Second Tuesdays at 2 Webinar series. This Webinar will provide an overview to the types of training and technical assistance available from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Attendees will learn about the available training and technical assistance opportunities, learn how to request assistance, and will be provided an introduction to a select group of BJA service providers. This Webinar will be presented by Helen Connelly, Director of BJA’s NTTAC.
Date: Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST
Cost: Free
Space is limited!
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Submitted: 12/8/2011 11:30 AM
The Government Accountability Office ( GAO) looks at some successful government projects and finds nine success stories others in or out of government could emulate. Most often, when the watchdogs at the GAO are called in to check out an agency, process, or project, they are looking for something that has gone wrong. This week, however, the group took a look at some government IT projects that have gone right and came up with some best practices other government agencies or in public corporations could emulate to achieve success in their own IT projects.
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Submitted: 11/28/2011 8:00 AM
The Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) announced a new partnership between the DHS “If You See Something, Say Something™” public awareness campaign and Major League Soccer (MLS)—highlighting the Department’s partnership with the sports industry to ensure the safety and security of the employees, players and fans.
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Submitted: 11/25/2011 8:00 AM
Join your justice colleagues and a panel of experts on Wednesday, November 30, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern Time to explore a new technology that may radically change the way we invest in hardware and software: cloud computing. You have probably already heard about a number of cloud computing deployment strategies, but may still wonder exactly what “cloud computing” means, how it can benefit your agency, and how to best plan for its use. If so, you don’t want to miss this Webinar: register here at no cost. And, don’t forget to explore the other benefits of the free-to-join JISP Network! This project was supported by a grant awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Source: NCJA
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Submitted: 11/23/2011 4:00 PM
Two years ago, El Paso County and the city of El Paso entered into a shared services agreement that enables both governments to cost-effectively benefit from the latest technologies. City and county IT staff work very closely together, sharing expertise and infrastructure, said Peter Cooper, CTO for the city and county of El Paso. The city and county support a number of technologies aimed at making law enforcement more efficient and giving agencies rapid access to the information they need, including a shared fingerprinting system used by all area law enforcement agencies and a shared records management system.
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Submitted: 11/17/2011 8:00 AM
Among the most important developments in the relaunched FCC.gov Web site is its use of open source application programming interfaces (APIs), the Federal Communications Commission's new media specialist Gray Brooks said recently. FCC sponsored a competition earlier this year for app developers using its data to promote Internet openness. Proponents say moving to popular, open source Web architectures reduces the amount of time and money agencies spend keeping proprietary systems up to date.
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Submitted: 11/14/2011 8:00 AM
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced a new partnership between the Department of Homeland Security’s ( DHS) “If You See Something, Say Something™” public awareness campaign and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and LodgeNet. The Department’s “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign partnership with the AH&LA and LodgeNet will feature a 15-second public service announcement ( PSA) that will air on the "Welcome Channel" in hotel rooms across all 50 states. The PSA will be deployed into 5,462 hotels including the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, Intercontinental, Best Western, Red Roof Inn, Radisson, and others, covering 1.2 million hotel rooms nationwide.
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Submitted: 11/10/2011 8:00 AM
A new database of restraining orders and protective orders across California is keeping courts and law enforcement officials up to date on the histories of potentially dangerous individuals. Called the California Courts Protective Order Registry ( CCPOR), the system stores electronic scans of the orders so that judicial and public safety personnel can view special conditions and notes that judges add to the documentation. Currently the CCPOR has been deployed to trial courts in 22 counties and three tribal courts in the Golden State, with plans to roll out access to the registry to all 58 counties in California by 2013.
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Submitted: 11/9/2011 10:00 AM
On October 12, Senator Joseph Lieberman, Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, presided over a panel exploring “ Ten Years After 9/11: A Status Report on Information Sharing.” During opening statements,* he noted: “…In my opinion, there is little question that our government now operates on a ‘need to share’ basis much more than it did ten years ago…[b]ut we must continue to build on that progress if we are to maintain our security, and that’s what we hope this hearing will help our Committee do and why we’re so grateful to have a truly excellent panel of witnesses before us.” Global Intelligence Working Group and Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council (CICC) Chairman Ronald Brooks was one of those selected experts; throughout his testimony,* Mr. Brooks underscored the critical value of Global and the CICC, and Global-supported efforts including fusion centers and the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative ( NSI). (*See October 12 hearing homepage, linked above, for access to testimonies and statements.)
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Submitted: 11/2/2011 8:00 AM
Voice and data analytics have been a positive influence in private business for years. This technology has proven to be a productive tool for improving customer service; recognizing trends improving products, productivity, customer needs, and desires; and improving call handling by customer services representatives. Only recently has this technology been recognized as having potential (demonstrably proven in Chester County, Pennsylvania) in the Public Safety environment. The advent of Call Taker/Telecommunicator Certification mandates in many states, and in the future nationwide, has increased the value of voice and data analytics for training, coaching, evaluation, planning, and response.
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Submitted: 10/31/2011 8:00 AM
A serial prankster may have thought his 911 calls about fake emergencies were amusing, but law enforcement officials in Morgan County, Alabama, had the last laugh, busting the caller and his accomplice thanks in part to the data gathering capabilities of a new communication system. Dispatchers at the Morgan County Emergency Management Communications District ( MCEMCD) realized there were two prank calls in the same fire jurisdiction during the same shift. The suspect’s number was unavailable on caller ID, so instead officials ran detailed reports on the calls using a new management information system (MIS). The findings helped officials to pinpoint more than 50 calls from the same person over a six-week span.
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Submitted: 10/28/2011 8:00 AM
When Van Hitch graduated from college in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in physics, he expected to go on to graduate school, earn a doctorate and eventually become a professor. But the war in Vietnam changed that plan. Instead, he decided to apply to the Navy Officer Candidate School. He was selected and entered the Navy in 1969. Hitch’s decision to join the Navy proved to be pivotal. It put him on the road to a long career in IT, reaching a pinnacle at the Justice Department, where he served for nine years as one of the government’s most influential CIOs. Under Hitch’s leadership, the CIO team created the Law Enforcement Information Sharing Program and coined the term “One DOJ” to represent a new paradigm for data sharing by the department.
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Submitted: 10/27/2011 8:00 AM
President Obama recently signed an Executive Order (EO) that addresses structural reforms to the oversight of classified information. The EO supports, codifies, and accelerates ongoing work–work that includes bolstering detection capabilities, restricting removable media, and strengthening government-wide governance, coordination, and oversight. The EO formally establishes the Classified Information Sharing and Safeguarding Office (CISSO), integrated within the Office of the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment.
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Submitted: 10/26/2011 1:30 PM
Richard Spires says his goal is to move the ball forward a little every day—four balls, actually. Spires, CIO at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS), is leading the effort to make progress in four key areas of IT at DHS: IT infrastructure rationalization, improving the department’s ability to execute programs, developing an enterprise-wide view of IT operations to help reduce duplication and redundancies, and redressing the workforce balance between DHS’ IT employees and contractors.
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Submitted: 10/24/2011 9:00 AM
Many people were terrified when the Commerce Department first considered moving to an open source content management system (CMS) for its main Web site, the agency's new media director said. Commerce.gov made the transition in mid-2010 to a CMS from Drupal--among the most popular open source communities worldwide. Many other federal sites have moved to Drupal during the past three years, including Energy.gov and Whitehouse.gov. Open source software was typically built for a specific purpose, but designers made its underlying code generally available as a public service. The White House, for instance, has published the code for many of its transparency initiatives.
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Submitted: 10/19/2011 8:00 AM
The Washington Office of Unified Communications fields 4,000 emergency calls a day, but not a single text message makes its way to 911 dispatchers. At least not yet. Emergency officials, government regulators, and lawmakers are seeking to change that by pushing forward with next-generation 911 technology, which could allow people to send text, photos, video, and other types of data in case of an emergency. The lawmakers are promoting their Next Generation 911 Advancement Act, which would allocate $250 million in competitive grants to help state and local governments transition to new 911 systems.
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Submitted: 10/18/2011 10:00 AM
A new mobile application is helping U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ( FWS) refuge officers identify potentially dangerous suspects and stay connected to colleagues while conducting investigations in remote locations. The app provides a secure connection to the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) National Crime Information Center ( NCIC) database. Officers working in wilderness areas can now run a background check on a person and get near instantaneous results, giving officers peace of mind about who they are dealing with.
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Submitted: 10/17/2011 8:00 AM
The Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) by mid-January will activate a nationwide facial recognition service in select states that will allow local police to identify unknown subjects in photos. The federal government is embarking on a multiyear, $1 billion dollar overhaul of the FBI's existing fingerprint database to more quickly and accurately identify suspects, partly through applying other biometric markers, such as iris scans and voice recordings.
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Submitted: 10/14/2011 8:00 AM
Longstanding U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ) Global contributor and advocate Paul Wormeli, IJIS Institute Executive Director Emeritus, was presented the Kelly Bacon award for “Outstanding Service to the Justice Information Technology Community” at the 2011 Annual Conference of National Association for Justice Information Systems ( NAJIS). “…[N]o single individual…has done more to evangelize, educate and facilitate the sharing of justice information….” said Laura Radke, NAJIS President. The award recognizes individuals who, like Bacon ( NAJIS’s first president), have made long, sustained contributions to NAJIS and its mission to foster overall improvement of justice information systems nationwide.
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Submitted: 10/13/2011 8:00 AM
“We are going to be going through a period of difficult budget cuts.”--Office of Management and Budget ( OMB) Director Jack Lew. This is the simple premise of the Partnership for Public Service latest research report-- Making Smart Cuts: Lessons from the 1990s Budget Front--released in September. In an attempt to set the nation back on a path to fiscal health, budget cuts are sure to affect federal agencies and the people they serve and employ for years to come. You can watch the complete Making Smart Cuts release event, which features special remarks from OMB Director Jack Lew and a panel discussion with Todd Grams, Executive in Charge for the Office of Management and CFO at the Department of Veterans Affairs; Eileen Harrington, Executive Director of the Federal Trade Commission; and Ron Sanders, a former HR executive in the Intelligence Community, IRS and Department of Defense.
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Submitted: 10/12/2011 8:00 AM
This edition of Global Highlights showcases the Pennsylvania Justice Network’s (JNET) implementation of the Global Reference Architecture (GRA) to enhance justice information sharing, including the real-world benefits gained (including interoperable, reusable business solutions, and direct cost savings).
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Submitted: 10/11/2011 9:10 AM
The attacks that brought down the World Trade Center 10 years ago also cracked the foundations of traditional information sharing in the government intelligence and law enforcement communities. Although the attack and its aftermath affected broad swaths of IT, it also helped transform one area of particular importance to the homeland security community —the collection of tools, technologies, and practices, known as knowledge management.
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Submitted: 10/4/2011 8:00 AM
To provide emergency-related information directly to the public, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security ( GEMA) and the state’s Department of Public Health launched an app, that not only provides a place for people to get updates, but also for them to store pertinent information. The app, called Ready Georgia, allows users to create a profile that includes information such as emergency contact phone numbers, an out-of-town meeting place, and work and school details.
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Submitted: 9/29/2011 8:00 AM
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano traveled to Houston, Texas, to announce a new partnership between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's ( DHS) "If You See Something, Say Something™" public awareness campaign and the city of Houston. Over the past year, DHS has collaborated closely with federal, state, local, and private sector partners, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), to expand the "If You See Something, Say Something™" campaign and the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting ( SAR) Initiative.
Source:
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Submitted: 9/28/2011 8:00 AM
In March 2011, then-federal CIO Vivek Kundra spoke about a future where federal employees could forgo a work phone and laptop and fulfill all their job responsibilities using their personal technology. But while this might make life simpler for employees, the consumerization of IT is creating a lot more work for IT professionals, according to a new report.
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Submitted: 9/27/2011 8:00 AM
The National Counterterrorism Center ( NCTC) has enhanced its IT systems in recent months to allow for more effective collection and processing of larger amounts of information, its director said. The center, which is part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence ( ODNI), manages the online Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (Tide), a repository of about 640,000 identities linked with global terrorism. The datamart regularly feeds information to several federal watch lists, including the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center.
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Submitted: 9/26/2011 8:00 AM
While the crossroads between foreign policy and information technology has been preoccupied with the still largely unresolved question of whether social media can spark revolutions, a few committed technologists are examining traditional media's ability to predict when revolutions will occur. Kalev Leetaru, a University of Illinois professor, argues that a sophisticated "tonal analysis" of news coverage can suggest when revolutions and other upheavals are in the works. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence ( ODNI) James Clapper's office gave some sanction to the idea of tonal news analyses in August when its Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity division launched a study to mine news outlets, blogs and social media for clues to upcoming revolutions, famines and disease outbreaks.
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Submitted: 9/23/2011 8:00 AM
Attorney General Eric Holder joined Belgian Minister of Justice Stefaan De Clerck and Minister of Interior Annemie Turtelboom to sign an agreement on Preventing and Combating Serious Crime ( PCSC), which will allow for the exchange of biometric and biographic data of suspected criminals between the United States and Belgium to bolster counterterrorism and law enforcement efforts while protecting individual privacy.
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Submitted: 9/22/2011 8:15 AM
A White House task force charged with reforming the federal web presence launched a discussion board to gather citizen feedback. The survey will be open until September 30. The dot-gov reform effort is aimed at substantially reducing the federal Web footprint, which has grown to more than 20,000 individual sites since the early 1990s, and at rationalizing federal websites so citizens can more easily find information and services regardless of which agency is responsible for them.
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Submitted: 9/21/2011 8:00 AM
Unlike most other federal agencies, the U.S. Department of State for many years took pride in its lack of technological advancement. Enter the Office of eDiplomacy. Conceived by the State Department nine years ago to help the department move from the need-to-know protocols of its Cold War days to a post-9/11 need to share, eDiplomacy has transformed internal communications at the nation's oldest Cabinet agency by implementing cheap, open-source technology and putting it behind the firewall.
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Submitted: 9/20/2011 9:30 AM
The Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) has begun deploying a mobile system nationwide that enables police officers to check the fingerprints of suspects at the scene to learn if they are wanted for other serious crimes or are on a national list of high-risk offenders, FBI officials announced. The new Repository for Individuals of Special Concern ( RISC) is part of the FBI’s Next Generation Identification ( NGI) system. RISC has been tested in Texas, Florida, and several other states for two years and is now being implemented nationwide, FBI officials said in a statement.
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Submitted: 9/19/2011 8:00 AM
Contra Costa County, California, Automated Regional Information Exchange System ( ARIES) allows justice and public safety agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area to share information and simplify their jobs. ARIES links the various agencies within Contra Costa County—and neighboring counties and cities—creating a network of entities that work together for the public good.
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Submitted: 9/16/2011 8:00 AM
SEARCH is offering free assistance to rural law enforcement agencies nationwide under funding from the FY 2009 Recovery Act Assistance to Rural Law Enforcement Grant through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA). "The grant is intended to help justice practitioners in local and tribal agencies understand how to use technology to share critical information, noted Mr. Mark Perbix, SEARCH Director of Systems and Technology. "This award allows SEARCH to provide rural jurisdictions with the targeted training and technical assistance they need to meet their specific information sharing challenge."
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Submitted: 9/15/2011 8:00 AM
The nation’s emergency 911 call systems are evolving to accommodate wireless communications and take advantage of the data, text, and video capabilities of ubiquitous IP networks. But voice traffic also is moving to IP networks, creating new opportunities and challenges, especially for 911 services in which budgets are tight and high availability and reliability are essential. Bandwidth is becoming cheap, but reliability remains expensive. VOIP has matured to the point that it now is the default technology for new telecom installations and can be used without compromising safety for critical systems, as long as redundant connections are available for failover.
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Submitted: 9/14/2011 8:00 AM
As we mark the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, we pause to reflect on our Nation’s resilience. While the shock and pain is as fresh as it was ten years ago, it is important to praise the actions and efforts across America that are making our Nation stronger and safer today.
We are working on numerous fronts to protect the American people, including accelerating responsible information sharing across the whole of government. Our Nation has built a robust homeland security architecture—our borders and ports are more secure; our global aviation and supply chain systems are stronger; our cyberspace is better protected; and information and resources are finding their way into the hands of law enforcement and first responders. As a Nation, we have made tremendous strides in improving the movement of essential information and treating it as a national asset. Responsible information sharing continues to be an absolutely critical piece in our counter terrorism posture.
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Submitted: 9/13/2011 8:00 AM
The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, or NSI, is a virtualized catalog of tips that any federal, state, or local government authority can search. But the records actually reside in separate databases maintained by the regional fusion centers. This compartmentalization protects citizens' privacy by allowing each jurisdiction to retain control over its submissions and eliminates the need to buy new computing systems. The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS), along with other agencies, developed this standard framework in 2007 to overcome information sharing obstacles that dogged law enforcement prior to 9/11.
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Submitted: 10/3/2011 12:00 PM
Rapid-fire Tweets and smartphone photos can be a boon to emergency responders trying to see through the fog of an unfolding crisis, but they also can divert responders with misinformation and potentially create liability issues, experts say. Emergency responders whose information was once limited to phone calls coming into 911 can now monitor real-time posts about which streets were worst hit in a tornado and collect photos of an accident scene while they are still miles away. But that information is dispersed across Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and other social media sites and it is much more difficult to separate useful information from useless noise.
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Submitted: 9/9/2011 8:00 AM
The Integrated Justice Information Systems ( IJIS) Institute, through grant funding provided by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), is hosting a South-Western Regional National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) Technical Training Course on October 25-27, 2011, in Phoenix, Arizona. This three-day technical course is intended for information exchange developers and implementers and is designed to guide students through NIEM in a structured process.
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Submitted: 9/8/2011 8:00 AM
The Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) is pleased to announce that Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson has selected Jim Burch as Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Operations and Management for the Office of Justice Programs ( OJP). Jim leaves a long and proud legacy behind him at BJA and his strong leadership and passion for our mission have made BJA the extraordinary bureau it is today.
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Submitted: 9/7/2011 8:00 AM
Federal agencies so far have launched about 75 mobile apps aimed at everything from allowing citizens to more easily browse proposed legislation to helping anglers alert their peers when they've just released a short fin mako shark. Many of the biggest innovations in the government apps sphere, though, are happening at the state level.
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Submitted: 9/6/2011 8:30 AM
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder made another pitch for setting aside airwaves for emergency services. Police and fire chiefs and other public safety officials have been pushing Congress to pass a Senate Commerce bill that would reallocate a chunk of spectrum known as the D-block to public safety for their network and authorize funding to build it. Telecommunications mostly held up during Hurricane Irene, even if power grids didn't. But a recent earthquake caused wireless congestion. Attorney General Holder mentioned both.
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Submitted: 9/1/2011 8:00 AM
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) Janet Napolitano announced final allocations for 12 preparedness grant programs totaling more than $2.1 billion in federal grants to assist states, urban areas, tribal and territorial governments, nonprofit agencies, and the private sector in strengthening our nation's ability to prevent, protect, respond to, recover from, and mitigate terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.
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Submitted: 8/31/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) is pleased to announce that the Kentucky and Ohio Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs ( PDMPs) have officially launched the electronic Prescription Monitoring Information Exchange ( PMIX). The goal of PMIX—made possible through funding from BJA's Harold Rogers Prescription Monitoring Program—is to help states implement a cost effective technology solution to facilitate interstate data sharing between PDMPs.
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Submitted: 8/30/2011 8:00 AM
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has unveiled new Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “If You See Something, Say Something™” public awareness campaign, aimed at educating the public on the importance of reporting suspicious activity to state and local law enforcement authorities.
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Submitted: 8/29/2011 8:00 AM
The Integrated Justice Information Systems ( IJIS) Institute, through grant funding provided by the U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), is hosting an Eastern Regional National Information Exchange Model ( NIEM) Technical Training Course on September 27 –29, 2011, in Ashburn, Virginia. This three-day technical course is intended for information exchange developers and implementers and is designed to guide students through the structured process of building applications using NIEM.
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Submitted: 8/26/2011 8:00 AM
In a time of budget brinkmanship on Capitol Hill, it’s worth noting the role IT could play in paring down the cost of government. Through its efforts to improve government information transparency by setting up the Recovery.gov, FederalReporting.gov and Data.gov Web sites, the Obama administration has already put key building blocks in place for using IT to identify cost anomalies in government. These access points into the flow of federal financial information offer opportunities for citizens and regulators to account for public spending, identify fraud and waste, and reuse publicly funded research and intellectual property.
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Submitted: 8/25/2011 8:00 AM
At its core, government's purpose is to serve its citizens. A constantly changing world complicates this simple idea with increasing global interconnectivity, cultural and societal revolutions, and technological advancements. To keep up, governments must evolve in the way they do business if they are to meet the needs of those they serve. But without similarly dynamic technology underlying its services, government will not be able to adapt quickly or economically. Now is the time for agencies to get smarter about IT.
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Submitted: 8/24/2011 8:00 AM
Every once in a while, a technology comes along that can fundamentally transform the way governments work—and works with one another. According to participants in the recently concluded pilot projects of Virtual USA, the program's technologies are doing just that. Virtual USA is the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's ( DHS) effort to coordinate development and integration of geospatial tools at all levels of government.
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Submitted: 8/23/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ) Global Initiative’s long-standing industry partner, the Integrated Justice Information Systems ( IJIS) Institute, recently formed the IJIS Institute Advisory Council (IIAC). The IIAC will ben an advisory body to the IJIS Institute Board of Directors, providing guidance and counsel on relevant business issues and opportunities affecting the community of service providers for justice and public safety agencies across the country. As IJIS Institute Executive Director Glenn Archer noted: “…[T]he Advisory Council is an avenue for us to widen our aperture by gaining even more industry insight to help…set future initiatives…[and] drive programs to help the practitioner community achieve their missions through information sharing, and in the adaptation of new technologies.
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Submitted: 8/22/2011 8:00 AM
In 1893, at the Chicago World's Fair, 51 police chiefs met to discuss the challenges they faced in their departments and organized the National Chiefs of Police Union, later changed to the International Association of Chiefs of Police ( IACP) in 1902. Today, police chiefs from around the globe come together at the IACP Annual Conference to foster the exchange of information and experience among police leaders throughout the world to find solutions to issues they are facing. Join them in Chicago, Illinois, at McCormick Place West, on October 22-26, 2011, for the 118th IACP Annual Conference and Exposition.
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Submitted: 8/19/2011 3:30 PM
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has announced that total crime in Maryland is at its lowest level since 1975. The declines in crime come at a time when state and local law enforcement agencies are intensifying their use of technology and information sharing. As a result, more criminals are being taken off the streets of Maryland communities.
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Submitted: 8/19/2011 8:00 AM
With dazzling gadgets like iPads and Androids flooding the market, people who weren’t techies before are becoming geekier by the year. And CIOs get it. As these user-friendly devices become intertwined with the average person’s daily habits — both business and personal — public CIOs are responding with formal policies. But not all agencies agree on whether to embrace or discourage the use of personal devices at work.
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Submitted: 8/18/2011 8:00 AM
The Web sites of local law enforcement agencies across the country were hacked and 10 GB of sensitive data was posted online — but security experts say it’s not surprising that the Web sites were susceptible to a cyber-attack. The attacks were spread across 11 states including Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Mississippi.
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Submitted: 8/17/2011 8:00 AM
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Submitted: 8/16/2011 8:00 AM
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers ( NASCIO) has named this year’s finalists for the 2011 Recognition Awards that honors state information technology programs. NASCIO has selected 30 state IT initiatives in 10 categories as finalists for its Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Information Technology in State Government. Details about the nominated projects can be found here.
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Submitted: 8/15/2011 8:00 AM
A law enforcement program designed to function like a nationwide e-neighborhood watch is now providing half of U.S. states with an information sharing capability that did not exist before 2001. The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, or NSI, is a federally funded program, managed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, that trains law enforcement jurisdictions on how to electronically share tips about potential threats using a standard, searchable format. This article discusses the NSI and how it contributes to the safety and security of the United States.
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Submitted: 8/12/2011 8:00 AM
You're shopping at the mall with your children when one of them suddenly disappears. A quick search of the nearby area is unsuccessful. What do you do? Now there's a free new tool from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that can help. Child ID app—the first mobile application created by the FBI—provides a convenient place to electronically store photos and vital information about your children so that it’s literally right at hand if you need it.
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Submitted: 8/11/2011 4:00 PM
The Byrne Justice Assistance Grant ( JAG) Program is the cornerstone federal justice assistance program. The program supports the federal government's crucial role in spurring innovation, as well as testing and replicating evidence-based practices nationwide. Byrne JAG can be used broadly for law enforcement needs, as well as prosecution and courts, prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, planning, evaluation and technology, and crime victim and witness programs. This article details the National Criminal Justice Association's ( NCJA) report, Cornerstone for Justice: Byrne JAG and its Impact on the Criminal Justice System, which outlines how the Byrne JAG is used in the field.
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Submitted: 8/9/2011 8:00 AM
The National Information Exchange Model ( NIEM) Program Management Office ( PMO) has released the agenda for the 2011 NIEM National Training Event ( NTE). The NTE will take place August 23–25, 2011, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is a great opportunity to learn more about NIEM and to showcase your accomplishments. Visit the NIEM National Training Event Web site for additional information and to register online.
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Submitted: 8/8/2011 8:00 AM
Steven VanRoekel, has been named the next federal chief information officer ( CIO), the White House announced. VanRoekel served as managing director of the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC) starting in 2009. He currently is the executive director of citizen and organizational engagement at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
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Submitted: 8/5/2011 8:00 AM
Could some Americans be breaking export-control laws just by sending e-mail? That's one of many questions raised by the increase in cloud computing, according to a Brookings report released recently.
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Submitted: 8/4/2011 1:05 PM
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Submitted: 8/3/2011 2:00 PM
A system that allows the FBI to automatically share information with local, state, regional, and other law-enforcement and criminal justice partners is now fully operational. The National Data Exchange ( N-DEx) system lets the agency share information with 18,000 local and regional criminal justice organizations.
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Submitted: 8/2/2011 8:00 AM
It’s official. The U.S. General Services Administration ( GSA) is the first federal agency to successfully migrate its employees to a cloud-based e-mail service using Google Apps for Government. “ GSA’s successful transition is the first step in our effort to provide cloud e-mail as a service option to other federal agencies,” according to GSA Administrator Martha Johnson.
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Submitted: 7/29/2011 8:00 AM
For years, data had a home. It resided in an application on the network, and a particular group of people authorized to access that application controlled how the data was handled. But as information sharing initiatives begin to take shape in government, data becomes more transient. And that leaves many feeling uncomfortable.
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Submitted: 8/1/2011 8:00 PM
Departing U.S. Department of Justice Chief Information Officer Vance Hitch, the longest-serving federal CIO, says the memory of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks kept him in the post most managers vacate after two years. "I was drawn to the department because I care about its mission. I found the mission challenging, invigorating," Hitch said. "You can easily get caught up in day-to-day issues."
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Submitted: 7/28/2011 8:00 AM
Fourteen individuals were arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) agents on charges related to their alleged involvement in a cyber attack on PayPal’s Web site as part of an action claimed by the group “Anonymous,” announced the U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ) and the FBI. Two additional defendants were arrested on cyber-related charges.
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Submitted: 7/27/2011 10:00 AM
As agencies move their applications to multitenant, cloud computing facilities, the layers of security that were once required to protect data in different locations and states of use have also become centered on the cloud. The concentration of computing resources is changing the nature and methods of agency data security, experts say. In the emerging world of cloud computing, data must now be protected while at rest, in transit, and even when accessed by those authorized to handle it. Security managers must now be prepared to protect data from the moment of its creation, through its move to the cloud and after it is taken into the wilderness of users.
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Submitted: 7/26/2011 8:00 AM
On November 9, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. eastern standard time, government officials will conduct the first ever national test of the Emergency Alert System. The test will include broadcast radio and television stations, cable TV, satellite radio, as well as wireline video service providers in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. The Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA) will work with the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC) to conduct the test which serves as an excellent opportunity to assess the readiness and effectiveness of the current system.
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Submitted: 7/25/2011 8:00 AM
If information technology and entrepreneurship were sufficiently leveraged, then within a decade, development competitions could be as big a part of federal spending as standard procurement processes are now, Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra recently said. He cited plans to consolidate roughly one-third of federal data centers and to move one-fourth of the government's IT infrastructure to cheaper and more nimble cloud computing as two of his proudest achievements in office.
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Submitted: 7/22/2011 8:00 AM
Local emergency managers need more training before the nationwide rollout of an emergency-alert text messaging system, industry officials recently told a House panel, warning that ill-considered texts about minor events could result in cell users not taking the alerts seriously. The Personal Localized Alert Network will be rolled out in New York City in the next few months and should be operating nationwide by spring 2012.
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Submitted: 7/21/2011 8:00 AM
Technology and government transparency is assocatied with residents' personal feelings of empowerment. Surveys in Philadelphia, San Jose, and Macon show that those who believe city hall is forthcoming are more likely than others to feel good about: the overall quality of their community; the ability of the entire information environment of their community to give them the information that matters; the overall performance of their local government; and the performance of all manner of civic and journalistic institutions ranging from the fire department to the libraries to the local newspaper and TV stations.
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Submitted: 7/20/2011 8:00 AM
Technology experts and stakeholders say they expect they will "live mostly in the cloud" in 2020 and not on the desktop, working mostly through cyberspace-based applications accessed through networked devices. This will substantially advance mobile connectivity through smartphones and other Internet appliances. Many say there will be a cloud-desktop hybrid.
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Submitted: 7/19/2011 8:00 AM
The Colorado Information Analysis Center ( CIAC) along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force ( JTTF) successfully shared information resulting in the timely capture of a mall bombing suspect. "Technology has made it possible to disseminate large amounts of information very quickly to those first responders, who work every day to keep the residents of Colorado safe,” stated Colorado State Patrol Colonel James Wolfinbarger. This interagency cooperation demonstrates to the residents of Colorado how well the system works for them.
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Submitted: 7/18/2011 8:00 AM
The 26,000 square miles of the Texas Panhandle have challenged law enforcement agencies from the 67 cities and 26 counties that police the region as officers from one jurisdiction often encountered individuals wanted by another jurisdiction without knowing it. Now with the help of Recovery Act and U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) funding, law enforcement agencies are building a regional data sharing initiative that officials see as having the potential for improving cross-agency communication, officer safety and efficiency in dispatcher operations.
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Submitted: 7/15/2011 9:00 AM
Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra has named a 17-member task force to winnow the government's massive Web presence over the next several months and to update government policies for what justifies a new Web site or domain. Federal officials characterized the .gov reform effort as part of a governmentwide initiative to streamline operations and improve customer service.
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Submitted: 7/14/2011 8:00 AM
The Houston Emergency Center ( HEC) implemented a new alert system to streamline the receipt of notifications for emergency dispatch from alarm monitoring companies. The new computer-aided dispatch system, called the Automated Secure Alarm Protocol ( ASAP), eliminates the need for alarm monitoring companies to call the HEC about alarm notifications, according to HEC Director David Cutler. From May 2010 to May 2011 the HEC saw an eight to ten percent reduction in call volumes attributable to the ASAP system - a significant decrease for the nearly 2,000 police arlarm notifications received each week. This work is an outgrowth of work sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) in 2006.
Source:
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Submitted: 7/13/2011 8:00 AM
State CIOs believe they recently took a step toward stronger collaboration with their federal counterparts. More than 30 state CIOs were in Washington, DC, in early May for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers ( NASCIO) Midyear Conference, and a delegation from the group held a highly productive meeting with members of the federal CIO council.
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Submitted: 7/12/2011 8:00 AM
The City of Indio, California, iPhone app is free and transforms the most technologically savvy device of the age into a mobile criminal reporting device for city blight and code enforcement violations, as well as providing a portal to download forms and communicate with the Indio Police Department and other city departments in real time. Although not the first citywide app, it is a comprehensive application, focusing not only on public safety but also public works, city administration, community development, and more.
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Submitted: 7/11/2011 9:00 AM
Few issues have a more widespread or profound impact on our criminal and juvenile justice systems—and our communities—than reentry. To address reentry issues that cut across the entire federal government, Attorney General Eric Holder convened the cabinet-level interagency Reentry Council. The purpose of this group is to bring together numerous federal agencies to make communities safer; assist those returning from prison and jail in becoming productive, tax-paying citizens; and save taxpayer dollars by lowering the direct and collateral costs of incarceration.
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Submitted: 7/8/2011 11:45 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services ( COPS), in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance and Council of State Governments, has launched an online Re-entry Programs Database. The database serves as a national directory of adult and juvenile re-entry programs and helps community service providers and individuals identify resources that support the reintegration of ex-offenders into communities.
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Submitted: 7/7/2011 8:00 AM
Officers of the Sandy Springs, Georgia, Police Department will soon use laptops and smartphones to browse and view video from cameras around the city. Authorized users will view live and recorded footage by simply clicking on any camera location on a map. Users can pan, tilt, and zoom live camera scenes as needed. The project is part of the police department’s initiative to integrate technology from multiple vendors into one system.
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Submitted: 7/6/2011 8:00 AM
The Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) has released a FY 2011 grant announcement for Project Safe Neighborhoods ( PSN). PSN is a nationwide commitment to reduce gun and gang crime in America. Each United States Attorney is responsible for establishing a collaborative PSN task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement and other community members to implement gang and gun crime enforcement, intervention, and prevention initiatives within their district. Awards - due by 8am eastern time on July 21st - will be made for a period of up to 24 months. [ Related Article]
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Submitted: 7/1/2011 9:30 AM
A formal counterterrorism strategy released by the White House focuses on goals of the United States in its efforts to defeat the al Qaeda terrorist network as well as principles the nation will embrace while working toward those goals. White House counterterrorism advisor John Brennan outlined those goals and principles, acknowledging that the National Counterterrorism Strategy builds on many goals established by the administration of George W. Bush but adding that President Barack Obama seeks to emphasize U.S. principles as well.
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Submitted: 6/27/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs ( OJP) recently launched www.crimesolutions.gov. This new Web site is a central, credible resource to inform practitioners and policymakers about what works in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services. The site includes information on more than 150 justice-related programs and assigns "evidence ratings" —effective, promising, or no effects — to indicate whether there is evidence from research that a program achieves its goals.
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Submitted: 7/1/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of the Treasury is searching for a super smart search engine to spot signs of terrorist financing and money laundering among monetary transactions totaling 9 terabytes of data--the equivalent of a stack of typewritten pages nearly 460 miles high. Treasury's intelligence arm, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), has a database to organize the 15 million reports it receives from financial institutions annually but needs a better way to home in on what is in there.
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Submitted: 6/29/2011 8:00 AM
The hacker groups LulzSec and Anonymous are teaming up to launch attacks on government web sites with the intent of stealing and leaking classified information and are enlisting any like-minded brethren to do the same. To date, LulzSec and Anonymous have appeared to operate independently of each other. LulzSec and Anonymous have attracted attention recently for a series of attacks on government websites, including LulzSec’s hacks on the websites of the Senate, CIA and the Atlanta chapter of the FBI-affiliated InfraGard, as well as on commercial sites.
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Submitted: 6/30/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a number of programs this year designed to recruit, hire, train, and retain a top-notch cybersecurity workforce. The programs have involved interdepartmental rotational assignments and other projects that give new employees the opportunity to see first-hand how the Secret Service or Immigration and Customs Enforcement handle computer forensics and law enforcement issues, or how the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team addresses cyber-related incidents for the federal government.
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Submitted: 6/24/2011 8:00 AM
Vivek Kundra, the first federal CIO appointed by the White House to lead the nation’s technology initiatives, will step down at the end of the summer to pursue a fellowship at Harvard University, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced. The administration credits Kundra with saving taxpayers at least $3 billion by scrutinizing IT spending and identifying underperforming projects.
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Submitted: 6/28/2011 8:00 AM
New York City has spent the past 18 months developing a database on four million residents, most of them the city's neediest, which officials say will enhance social services. The technology is based on the National Information Exchange Model, known as NIEM, which was started in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS). The exchange model helps agencies communicate with other agencies that have different types of databases and has been used, for example, to allow the police to track warrants across state boundaries.
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Submitted: 6/17/2011 11:30 AM
This edition of the Global Highlights features the newly-released Criminal Intelligence Resources Guide. Developed by the Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council and its research arm, the Global Intelligence Working Group, the document provides practitioners an easily-accessible representation of the Global-recommended intelligence tools and includes links and instructions for ordering featured resources.
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Submitted: 6/22/2011 8:00 AM
Vice President Joe Biden announced the launch of a government-wide campaign to cut government waste, including the creation of an oversight board modeled on the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, which used a Web site to track federal stimulus money. House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-California, unveiled legislation to create a similar oversight board just hours before Biden's announcement.
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Submitted: 6/21/2011 8:00 AM
The Court Technology Conference (CTC) 2011 will take place October 4-6, 2011, at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California. The CTC 2011 will be the premier opportunity for court professionals to meet, discuss, and plan for the future. The CTC 2011 brings together more than 1,500 court professionals from across the country and across the world for three days of learning, training, and networking. The reduced registration rate for the CTC 2011 expires June 30, 2011.
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Submitted: 6/20/2011 8:00 AM
Digital media has entered every aspect of modern life and crime is no exception. Even the most mundane activities are touched by digital media; talking on the phone, sending an email, visiting an ATM, or using a global positioning system (GPS) device to get directions. Most modern crime leaves some sort of digital footprint. Consequently, digital evidence has become an important crime fighting tool. This article outlines the necessary training requirements for law enforcement officers in their handling of digital evidence. Source: Police Chief Magazine
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Submitted: 6/16/2011 8:00 AM
Things have gotten a lot quieter in the Fort Worth/Tarrant County Joint Emergency Operations Center (JEOC) in Texas. But the change is not necessarily due to a lack of incidents. The center has upgraded its entire communications network, allowing users from multiple agencies to monitor radio channels and document events silently through computer workstations.
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Submitted: 6/15/2011 8:00 AM
The Bureau of Justice Assistance’s ( BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center ( NTTAC) invites you to participate in June’s Webinar on case management, as part of our Second Tuesdays at 2 Webinar series. This presentation will examine how the BJA’s Criminal Courts Technical Assistance Project ( CCTAP) program provides structured interventions with local jurisdictions to reform the management and operations of the criminal case process, using Differentiated Case Management ( DCM) as the transformative vehicle.
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Submitted: 6/8/2011 8:00 AM
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder recently welcomed Denise O’Donnell as the U.S. Department of Justice's ( DOJ) Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA). O’Donnell was sworn in on June 6, 2011. The BJA Director advises and assists the Attorney General and the Department of Justice in formulating and implementing departmental policies and programs to better support state, local, and tribal law enforcement across the country.
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Submitted: 6/14/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) has issued metrics for reporting agency cybersecurity status that focus on the ability to automate system monitoring and security controls. The fiscal year 2011 Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) reporting metrics for CIO’s, released June 1, 2011, reflects an evolving emphasis in FISMA compliance on real-time understanding and risk management. The questions are not limited to checklist compliance.
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Submitted: 6/10/2011 8:00 AM
The new Privacy Line Officer Training Video is now available to view via the Justice Information Sharing Web site made available through funds from the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) for the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative ( Global). The Importance of Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Protections in American Law Enforcement and Public Safety training video assists local, state, and tribal law enforcement line officers in understanding their role in the protection of privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties as they perform their everyday duties. The video provides an introductory overview of what privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections are; examples of these protections; and the important function line officers have in upholding these protections.
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Submitted: 6/7/2011 8:00 AM
Analysts at the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) have augmented their manpower to examine information gathered from the raid on the compound of Osama bin Laden one month ago, the chief intelligence officer at the Department of Homeland Security told a House panel. The DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis ( I&A) continues to examine that information and disseminate information to state and local agencies that could act on any of the intelligence within it, said Caryn Wagner, DHS undersecretary of intelligence and analysis.
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Submitted: 6/9/2011 8:00 AM
Transitioning about one-fourth of the government's $80 billion information technology enterprise to the cloud will save at least $5 billion annually, federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Moving government data that are currently housed in dedicated computer servers to more versatile cloud computing space is a major component of Kundra's 25-point plan to reform federal IT.
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Submitted: 6/13/2011 8:00 AM
The IJIS Institute, a nonprofit organization that focuses on mission-critical information sharing for justice, public safety, and homeland security, announces that Ken Bouche, Senior Vice President of Hillard Heintze, has been appointed as the indusry liaison to the Global Advisory Committee ( GAC). Bouche currently serves on the IJIS Board of Directors and is well-acquainted with Global purposes and processes, having served as past chair of the GAC, Global Intelligence Working Group ( GIWG), and Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council ( CICC). DOJ's Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative is managed through the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA). Source: IJIS Institute
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Submitted: 6/6/2011 8:00 AM
Sean McGurk, director of the Control Systems Security Program in the DHS National Cyber Security Division ( NCSD), told a House panel that Einstein 2, the federal government’s network intrusion detection system, registered a total of 5.4 million “hits” in 2010, an average of 450,000 hits per month and 15,000 per day. Source: InfoSecurity
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Submitted: 6/3/2011 9:00 AM
A New York state commission is expected to release recommendations next June on how to streamline the state’s programs and processes, which, like many states, are behind the technology curve, duplicative, and draining taxpayer dollars. The report, by the Spending and Government Efficiency ( SAGE) commission appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in January, will look across state services and agencies and propose steps to manage the state's IT investment, estimated to be as high as $2 billion. Source: Government Computer News
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Submitted: 6/2/2011 8:00 AM
In an increasingly interconnected world that is reliant on technology for critical services, a number of states are tightening the coordination between IT professionals in government and industry to minimize the potential impact of a disruption to computerized systems. Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire are coordinating plans for responding to interruptions in services due to cyber-attacks or natural disasters that disrupt computer systems that facilitate critical services. Source: Emergency Management
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Submitted: 6/1/2011 8:00 AM
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced the availability of the Small Vessel Reporting System ( SVRS) along the northern border and in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The online reporting tool is a voluntary program that will enhance security while expediting the entry process for participating boaters entering the United States. The SVRS will be available nationwide in coming months. Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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Submitted: 5/31/2011 8:00 AM
The National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) Program Management Office (PMO) announces Ellen Levy, vice president of strategic alliances for LinkedIn is confirmed as the 2011 NIEM National Training Event (NTE) opening plenary keynote speaker. As the leader of LinkedIn's strategic initiatives, Ellen is at the center of LinkedIn's growth as a business innovator. She is a long-time expert in organizational strategy and innovation. The NTE will take place August 23–25, 2011, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is a great opportunity to learn more about NIEM and to showcase your accomplishments. Visit the NIEM National Training Event Web site for additional information and to register online.
Source: NIEM Website
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Submitted: 5/26/2011 11:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is pleased to announce that it is seeking funding applications for work that supports justice information sharing through BJA’s national policy initiatives. These initiatives are intended to further information sharing capacity in the field by contributing to the development of policies and practices, training and technical assistance, and field implementations of information exchange. Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 5/27/2011 8:00 AM
In an unassuming building near McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, 14 different agencies from federal, state, and local government work together toward one goal: to keep residents and tourists safe. One of three fusion centers in the state, the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center (SNCTC) stands out because it is an all-hours operation that focuses not only on terrorism, but also on all crimes and hazards. Source: Emergency Management
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Submitted: 5/25/2011 8:00 AM
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) Janet Napolitano has announced the release of FY 2011 grant guidance and application kits for 12 DHS grant programs totaling $2.1 billion to assist states, urban areas, tribal and territorial governments, nonprofit agencies, and the private sector in strengthening our nation's ability to prevent, protect, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. In FY 2011, DHS grants were reduced by $780 million from the FY 2010 enacted level, nearly a quarter of FY 2010 DHS grant funding. Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Web site
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Submitted: 5/20/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice's ( DOJ) Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global) Advisory Committee (GAC) members convened on April 20, 2011, to discuss the latest initiatives in justice information sharing and to add new resources to the Global suite of information sharing solutions for colleagues in the field. This edition of Global Highlights provides a summary of those recent recommendations as well as a recap of additional spring 2011 GAC meeting topics of interest. Source: Justice Information Sharing Web site
File: Global_Highlights_May_2011_Vol-1.pdf
(401.2 KB)
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Submitted: 5/24/2011 8:30 AM
As part of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services ( COPS) monthly podcast series, The Beat, smarter and more use of technology is a recurring theme. This month Leonard Matarese, Director of Research and Project Development for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) suggests "we’re still not using technology to the highest level that we possibly can". Last month Michael Mason, Chief Security Officer for Verizon, explains we can leverage technology to mitigate the threats associated with lower budgets and less headcount. Listen/Download Podcast Source: COPS Web site
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Submitted: 5/19/2011 9:30 AM
A team of researchers from Northwestern University and Microsoft Research recently announced a new method by which a computer’s IP address can be used to pinpoint a user’s location within a half-mile, a geolocation accuracy that is 50 times more accurate than current systems used. The paper, “Towards Street-Level Client-Independent IP Geolocation” was presented at the USENIX Networked Systems Design and Implementation. In the report, researchers state that their new geolocation method can be used to track individuals in real time, returning information within one to two seconds. More important, the technique is client-independent, requiring neither permission nor software from the targeted computer. Source: Government Computer News
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Submitted: 5/18/2011 8:00 AM
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Submitted: 5/23/2011 8:30 AM
The 36th Annual American Probation and Parole Association ( APPA) Training Institute will be held July 24–27, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. All APPA workshops, intensive sessions, resource expo and receptions will take place in the Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue. This institute is not to be missed if you are a corrections professional involved in probation, parole, juvenile justice, treatment, social work, education or training, victim services, residential programs, judicial system, pre- and post-release centers, restitution, law enforcement, or public policy development. For more information on the APPA Training Institute, please visit the event Web site. Source: American Probation and Parole Association Web site
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Submitted: 5/17/2011 8:00 AM
Police Chiefs and other law enforcement professionals from around the globe will come together at the IACP Annual Conference on October 22–26, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois, to foster the exchange of ideas, information, and solutions in content-specific educational sessions; network with domestic and international police leaders who are facing the same challenges; and connect with vendors and suppliers showcasing cutting-edge technologies, products, and services. Don't wait, register today for IACP 2011, visit www.THEIACPCONFERENCE.org. Source: International Association of Chiefs of Police Web site
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Submitted: 5/12/2011 8:00 AM
The Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) and their national partners - National Criminal Justice Association ( NCJA), IJIS Institute, and Justice Solutions) have launched the Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification (SAVIN) Online Community, which will serve as a valuable tool and resource for state SAVIN administrators and states looking to develop, improve, and expand their SAVIN programs. BJA is also working in partnership with the IJIS Institute to develop a national information sharing standard for the dissemination of victim information and notification. The project— SAVIN IEPD (Information Exchange Package Documentation), which is based on the National Information Exchange Model ( NIEM)—will improve the sharing of offender data across jurisdictions. Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 5/11/2011 8:00 AM
The VERA Institute for Justice, with funding support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), has launched the Cost-Benefit Knowledge Bank for Criminal Justice (CBKB) project Web site. cbkb.org. provides useful resources for justice practitioners and policymakers interested in using cost-benefit analysis methods and applications to better evaluate the economic impact of criminal justice policy choices. The new Web site features educational materials, such as Webinars and toolkits, to guide visitors through the steps of a cost-benefit analysis. It also serves as a resource clearinghouse, with announcements of the latest publications and events, and a reference database of hundreds of cost-benefit studies. Please visit cbkb.org, to learn more about this exciting new resource to the field of criminal justice. Source: Cost-Benefit Knowledge Bank for Criminal Justice
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Submitted: 5/10/2011 9:00 AM
The 2011 National Forum on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), the National Criminal Justice Association ( NCJA), and the IJIS Institute, will take place on July 31–August 2 at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City, in Jersey City, New Jersey. This event showcases programs and technologies that help justice practitioners and decision makers in states, local communities, and tribal nations address pressing public safety issues today and in the future. Last year, 91 percent of attendees reported they learned useful strategies and ideas they could take home and implement immediately. Eighty-seven percent of attendees said the Forum was important for their professional development. [ Register Online] Source: National Criminal Justice Association
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Submitted: 5/9/2011 12:00 PM
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the National Security Agency ( NSA) is focusing on IT architecture and what he calls a "cloud-centric" approach in the agency's effort to improve its information sharing with other intelligence agencies. "Some people say we've just got to get some better tools. Well, tools come and tools go," said NSA CIO Lonny Anderson. "The key is architecture. You build an architecture, then it doesn't matter that tools come and go. There's no doubt in my mind that when we connect architectures, we'll never look back." Source: Information Week
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Submitted: 5/6/2011 8:00 AM
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers ( NASCIO) recently pledged its support for National Information Exchange Model ( NIEM) adoption. NASCIO also issued a guidance document on how to implement NIEM, which is available for free download on the organization’s Web site. “A Call to Action: Information Exchange Strategies for Effective State Government” provides state CIOs with background, guidance, and recommendations in support of a state adoption of NIEM. NIEM is a partnership of local, state, tribal, and federal agencies that supports information exchange standards. The model enables jurisdictions to effectively share information in emergency situations and also supports the day-to-day operations of agencies. Source: Government Technology
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Submitted: 5/5/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice's ( DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), in partnership with the National Criminal Justice Association ( NCJA), has launched the National Center for Justice Planning ( NCJP) Web site, which supports local, state, and tribal efforts to institutionalize comprehensive approaches to community-based strategic planning for justice. The site features information about and examples of evidence-based policies and practices, strategic planning, and research and evaluation. Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 5/4/2011 9:30 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA); the Department of Homeland Security; and the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment ( PM-ISE) are pleased to offer a public training course on the National Information Exchange Model ( NIEM) in Ashburn, Virgina, on May 17 –19, 2011. This three-day technical course focuses on an overview of NIEM and practical implementation techniques and includes hands-on exercises reinforcing key NIEM concepts. Lessons will guide participants through XML terminology and concepts specifically used by NIEM, as well as the process of building Information Exchange Package Documentation (IEPD) through instructor-led exercises. Questions? Please contact Paul Holcombe at paul.holcombe@ijis.org or at (703) 726-1095. [ Additional Information] [ Register Online] Source: NIEM Web site
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Submitted: 5/2/2011 12:05 PM
The Nueces County, Texas, Sheriff's Office, with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s ( DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), can now take fingerprints and identify criminals in the field. The new MC-75 wireless mobile identification device will be used by officers in the county's Criminal Warrants Division, Criminal Investigation Division, and the jail's transportation department. Deputies will take prints, send them to the office, and get results back when and where they work. The devices show demographics, photo IDs, and any criminal history such as warrants, probations, and sex offender information. Source: Caller.com
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Submitted: 4/29/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), Office of Community Oriented Policing Services ( COPS), in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) and the Council of State Governments ( CSG), has launched an online Re-entry Programs Database. The database will serve as a national directory of adult and juvenile re-entry programs and will help community service providers and individuals identify resources that support the reintegration of ex-offenders into communities. BJA Acting Director James H. Burch II, noted that, "as BJA provides $100 million in funding to state, local, and tribal communities for re-entry programs through the Second Chance Act, it is essential that these communities know about the strategies in use in other parts of the nation, to facilitate a peer-to-peer learning network so that we have the ability to learn from each other's best practices." Source: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Web site
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Submitted: 4/28/2011 8:00 AM
The International Association of Chiefs of Police ( IACP) in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) has developed a curriculum designed specifically to address the growing demands of SLT agencies to better participate in the Information Sharing Environment ( ISE). This no-cost training includes a seminar and online tutorials and will provide attendees with a resource tool kit to help guide the process. [ More information] [ Register online] Source: International Association of Chiefs of Police Web site
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Submitted: 4/26/2011 11:00 AM
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Submitted: 4/25/2011 9:00 AM
Secretary Janet Napolitano has announced the implementation of the Department of Homeland Security’s ( DHS) National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS)—a robust terrorism advisory system that provides timely information to the public about credible terrorist threats and replaces the former color-coded alert system. Secretary Napolitano has also released a public guide outlining the new system along with an example of an NTAS Alert that would be issued to the public if the government were to receive information about a specific or credible terrorist threat. Depending on the nature of the threat, alerts may be sent to law enforcement, distributed to affected areas of the private sector, or issued more broadly to the public through both official and social media channels—including a designated DHS Web page ( www.dhs.gov/alerts), Facebook, and via Twitter @NTASAlerts. Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Web site
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Submitted: 4/22/2011 8:00 AM
SEARCH, with funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s ( DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), recently provided law enforcement officials with valuable technical assistance that enabled them to track down and arrest an escapee from a minimum-security prison camp in northern California. SEARCH staff provided instructions on how to use site logs to locate the Internet Protocol (IP) address and Internet Service Provider (ISP) associated with the messages the escapee formulated on a social networking site. Using IP and ISP data to track down a computer at an exact street address is tricky, but it can be done—and knowing what to do is a critical investigative advantage. Source: SEARCH Group, Inc.
File: SEARCH_Highlights_4-15-2011.pdf
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Submitted: 4/21/2011 8:00 AM
According to government and industry experts at a recent conference, agencies moving applications to the cloud need sound architectures and service-oriented principles. Many people thought that, with the emergence of cloud computing, service-oriented architecture (SOA) went away, said Ajay Budhraja, chief technology officer for a component of the U.S. Department of Justice. “ SOA is a key enabler of cloud computing,” Budhraja said, describing SOA as an architecture and cloud computing as a deployment mechanism. “If you don’t have good architecture, good service-oriented principles, you’re going to have a tough time moving to the cloud.” Source: Government Computer News
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Submitted: 4/18/2011 9:00 AM
In FY 2010, the Office of Management and Budget ( OMB) provided guidance to all federal agencies to evaluate the adoption and use of the National Information Exchange Model ( NIEM) as the basis for developing reference information exchanges that support specification and implementation of reusable cross-boundary services. To date, 12 federal agencies have committed to use NIEM and 7 more agencies are further evaluating the use of NIEM. This report highlights an unprecedented opportunity for substantial gains in increasing standardized connections and shared services for cross-boundary information exchange. It challenges the status quo of silos and presents a path forward for significant gains for the overall NIEM community. [Full Report] Source: CIO.gov
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Submitted: 4/15/2011 10:00 AM
Recognizing the needs of small and rural law enforcement may be distinct from often studied urban areas, the Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center ( NLECTC) SystemSmall - sponsored by the National Institute of Justice ( NIJ) conducted a national summit to discuss the top issues facing agencies with less than 50 sworn officers. The Small, Rural, Tribal, and Border Regional Center released a comprehensive report on summit findings and discussions. Participants identified their primary concerns as; the lack of a unified voice to represent small and rural agencies, access to funding, and training resources. Source: JUSTNET Web site
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Submitted: 4/12/2011 9:00 AM
The sprawling metropolis of Miami-Dade County, Florida, has endured hurricanes, floods, earthquakes—even the occasional tsunami warning—earning it the dubious distinction of being one of the most disaster-prone urban regions in the country. So it’s no wonder that county officials have harnessed GIS, which captures, analyzes, and displays geographical information, as a pivotal weapon in their ongoing battle with the forces of nature. In Miami-Dade, the technology transforms raw data into a vast range of interactive graphical maps, each of which tells a story. And that means residents of Miami-Dade’s 35 municipalities are safer, better informed, and more prepared than ever before. [ Full Story] Source: Government Technology
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Submitted: 4/13/2011 9:00 AM
The ability to transform an offender’s life through effective reentry programs is vital to the overall success of the criminal justice system and the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) is enabling partnerships in the corrections community to advance such programs. BJA’s National Training and Technical Assistance Center ( NTTAC) helps stakeholders collaborate to address reentry issues through free, customized technical assistance. For example, when BJA’s NTTAC received a request for information about teaching proper court testimony to adult probation staff in Pennsylvania, NTTAC was able to use its ongoing communications with the American Probation and Parole Association ( APPA) to identify three judges who could conduct a one-day workshop. Collaboration, coordination, and ongoing partnerships enable BJA’s NTTAC to assist organizations and agencies in the corrections field with their often unique issues. Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 4/7/2011 8:00 AM
Since 9/11, law enforcement has encouraged the public to remain alert to suspicious activities. Studies have shown that most terrorist attacks occur within 30 miles from where the attacker lives. As a result, they may acquire materials, engage in training, and conduct surveillance in a neighborhood near you. Like the Department of Homeland Security program “See Something, Say Something,” the Communities Against Terrorism ( CAT) Program is designed to encourage the American public to identify and report indicators of terrorism. The CAT Program was developed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance in conjunction with the SLATT Program to create partnerships between law enforcement and their local business community. By providing information about potential terrorist indicators to neighborhood businesses, law enforcement agencies enhance their ability to prevent terrorist attacks. Source: SLATT Web site
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Submitted: 4/6/2011 10:00 AM
The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center System ( NLECTC), a program of the National Institute of Justice ( NIJ), reports that law enforcement seeking to keep costs down, reduce liability, and improve officer safety, are turning to officer-worn video cameras as an additional crime fighting tool. While police departments have been using in-car cameras for years, body-worn cameras are gaining in popularity, either as an additional crime-fighting device or as a replacement for in-car, dash-mounted cameras, especially among departments trying to cut costs. Source: Justice Technology Information Network
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Submitted: 4/5/2011 11:00 AM
With funding assistance from the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), the National Criminal Justice Association ( NCJA) and the National Congress of American Indians ( NCAI) will host the second in a four-part series of interactive, working Webinars designed to focus on developing clear and concise policy recommendations for inclusion in any long-term detention plan submitted to Congress under the Tribal Law & Order Act (TLOA). The Webinar “ Exploring New Approaches: Alternatives to Incarceration, Multi-Purpose Justice Centers, and Treatment Centers” will be held on April 13, 2011, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). If you have questions regarding this announcement, please contact Kay Chopard Cohen at kcohen@ncja.org. [ Register online.] You may not be able to access this link due to firewalls and other restrictions on your work computer. Please contact your IT department to learn how to access this Webinar. Source: NCJA Web site
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Submitted: 4/4/2011 11:30 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), Office of Justice Programs ( OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for funding under the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. This program furthers the Department’s mission by breaking the cycle of drug abuse and violence by reducing demand and enforcing laws to reduce and prevent the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. The program was created by the FY 2002 U.S. Department of Justice Appropriations Act (Public Law 107-77) and has received funding under each subsequent year’s Appropriations Act. OJP strongly encourages registering with Grants.gov several weeks before the deadline for application submission. The deadline for applying for funding under this announcement is 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 19, 2011.
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Submitted: 3/31/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), Office of Justice Programs ( OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for funding under the Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance (TCCLA) Program. TCCLA provides funding and technical assistance to members of Indian tribes and tribal justice systems to assist tribal jurisdictions in improving their justice systems. Registration with Grants.gov is required prior to application submission. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on May 12, 2011. [ Grant Announcement] Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 4/1/2011 8:00 AM
With so many security cameras in public places, it’s easier than ever for criminals to be caught in the act. But some of the most serious crimes are committed outside the view of a camera’s lens, leaving police to rely on a sketch of the suspect. Now, researchers from Michigan State University are aiming to make those sketches as powerful as photographs. Doctoral student Brendan Klare and Anil Jain, a professor of computer science and engineering, have developed a system that matches artistic renderings of crime suspects to mug shot databases. This article details a recent interview with Klare and Jain about how the system works—and how it could change the way law enforcement officers catch criminals. Source: SmartPlanet.com
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Submitted: 3/30/2011 10:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) recently released its much-anticipated white paper on the ecosystem of cybersecurity. The document, according to DHS: “explores technical options for creating a safer, more secure and resilient network of networks. Specifically, the paper looks at how prevention and defense can be enhanced through three security building blocks: automation, interoperability, and authentication. If these building blocks were incorporated into cyber devices and processes, cyber stakeholders would have significantly stronger means to identify and respond to threats —creating and exchanging trusted information and coordinating courses of action in near real time.” [ DHS Blog] Source: Nextgov Website
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Submitted: 3/29/2011 11:45 AM
A TechStat video tutorial is available to assist Federal CIO Council agencies with conducting their own TechStat sessions. The video provides an overview of the TechStat process and is part of a comprehensive training program that includes the TechStat Toolkit rolled out in February. A TechStat is a face-to-face, evidence-based review of an IT investment. The sessions are triggered when it appears a project is underperforming using data from the IT Dashboard and other sources. TechStats allow the government to take action and turn around, halt, or terminate poorly performing programs. Agency TechStats are part of the 25-Point Implementation Plan to Reform Federal IT Management released in December 2010, which calls for CIOs to stand up the agency TechStat model. Source: CIO.gov Web site
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Submitted: 3/25/2011 9:00 AM
The Obama administration's recently-unveiled information technology roadmap is helping agencies push forward toward their IT goals, according to leading government CIOs. Still, much work remains to be done before declaring success, the CIOs warned. "We're very proud of what has been done in the first 97 days," said Vivek Kundra, federal CIO. In December, the White House introduced a 25-point plan to improve information technology government wide. The plan encourages agencies to take advantage of Web-based computing services to reduce data center operations. “Every single point on the 25-point plan we've successfully implemented somewhere in the government." Kundra said. "We developed a plan that is focused on implementation." Source: Nextgov Web site
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Submitted: 3/24/2011 10:30 AM
Social networking and texting are rapidly becoming the most common ways of interacting. Now, police departments are beginning to use these new forms of communication to their advantage. In Massachusetts, the Randolph and Stoughton Police Departments recently rolled out technology initiatives that utilize Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and text messages as a means of two-way communication with their communities to reduce crime and promote public safety. Source: The (Massachusetts) Herald News
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Submitted: 3/21/2011 9:00 AM
 The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hopes to soon have real-time access to the military's biometrics database letting them better sort out who's who at U.S. points of entry. The capability will be similar to what DHS is already doing with the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI), and through it, local law enforcement agencies around the country, said Bob Mocny, director of DHS's U.S. VISIT program. U.S. VISIT, the office responsible for screening foreign visitors to the U.S., is the main repository for DHS's biometric data. That information can be shared between DHS and the criminal record system that the FBI holds at its Criminal Justice Information Services division. Mocny said DHS had already proven the value of biometric information sharing through the Secure Communities program, which lets participating local law enforcement see data held in DHS databases. He said that data comes in handy when law enforcement officers encounter a suspect who gives a false name. Source: Federal News Radio Web site
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Submitted: 3/18/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ) announced in January that it has begun accepting applications from Native American and Alaska Native tribal communities for funding to improve public safety in Indian country. The funds are available through the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), a streamlined single solicitation for existing tribal government-specific grant programs administered by the Office of Justice Programs, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, and the Office on Violence Against Women. The application period for the FY2011 solicitation closes April 21, 2011. Source: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Web site
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Submitted: 3/14/2011 10:00 AM
The recent activation of Secure Communities in six northern California jurisdictions means the program's vital information sharing capability is, for the first time, accessible to law enforcement agencies in all 58 of the state's counties. The Secure Communities' information sharing capability is a key component of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's ( ICE) comprehensive strategy to enhance efforts to identify and remove convicted, non-U.S. citizen, criminals from the country. The system uses biometric identification to alert ICE when potentially removable non-citizens are booked into local law enforcement custody for a crime. Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Web site
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Submitted: 3/17/2011 8:00 AM
This article describes the technology behind collecting, analyzing, and sharing information about suspicious activity. This GCN article describes how local law enforcement agencies gather and share tips from the public with the state fusion centers who vet the information for credibility, potential privacy violations, and then identify any potential nexus to terrorism. Following this fusion center vetting process, the information is shared through the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) managed Nationwide SAR Initiative ( NSI) that enables fusion centers to conduct federated searches of suspicious activity reports (SARs) and share results across jurisdictional lines. Source: Government Computer News
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Submitted: 3/16/2011 8:00 AM
Join members of the public safety community and community policing partners at the 2011 COPS Conference in Washington, DC, August 1 –2, 2011, to address the practical needs of the field and explore a diverse agenda filled with demonstrated solutions and innovative approaches to common public safety challenges. Registration is free for attendees. Learn more about the conference and register today at www.copsconference.com. Source: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services Web site
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Submitted: 3/15/2011 8:00 AM
Register today for the free JISP Beacon Webinar on Cyber Security: Assuring a Trusted and Resilient Information and Communications Infrastructure. Sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) and the National Criminal Justice Association ( NCJA), this Webinar is scheduled to take place on March 17, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) and is presented by Jason Hutchens, Director of the Planning Division for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and Tad Stahl, Chief of the Information Security Office with the Indiana Department of Technology. Online registration is available now. Source: National Criminal Justice Association Web site
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Submitted: 3/8/2011 8:00 AM
The IACP Center for Social Media, a collaborative endeavor with the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), is launching a new Webinar series to help law enforcement agencies understand and manage social media. The dates and topics are as follows: April 7, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. (EST) – Getting Started with Social Networking; May 5, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. (EST) – How to Manage Your Social Networking So It's Not a Time Suck; June 9, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. (EST) – Taking Your Agency's Social Networking Activity to the Next Level. Online registration is free and available now. Source: International Association of Chiefs of Police Web site
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Submitted: 3/7/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance’s ( BJA) National Training and Technical Assistance Center ( NTTAC) has launched a new monthly Training and Technical Assistance Newsletter. The newsletter will highlight recent BJA training news, upcoming events, and more. The current issue ( February 2011) discusses Adjudication Assistance Provided by BJA and includes a feature on The National Judicial College’s National Tribal Judicial Center. If you are interested in receiving BJA’s monthly Training and Technical Assistance Newsletter, you can click here and sign up! Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 3/3/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice's ( DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) launched their latest podcast, The Role of Statistical Analysis Centers. In this podcast, BJA Acting Director Jim Burch interviews Director Phillip Stevenson from the Arizona Statistical Analysis Center about the role of statistical analysis centers, the services they provide at the state and local levels, and their involvement with state administering agencies. Click here to listen to this podcast, available under the NEW Podcast subject heading found in the left column of the podcast player. Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 3/4/2011 8:00 AM
The three most common complaints made to the joint FBI / National White Collar Crime Center’s ( NW3C) Internet Crime Complaint Center ( IC3) last year were for non-delivery of payment or merchandise, scams impersonating the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI), and identity theft according to a just-released 2010 Internet Crime Report. Over the past few years, the IC3 has enhanced the way it processes, analyzes, and refers victim complaints to law enforcement. Their technology helps local, state, and federal analysts and investigators work collaboratively on similar complaints to build cases and identify emerging fraud trends. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation Web site
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Submitted: 3/1/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), Office of Justice Programs' ( OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applications for funding to support innovative field-initiated programs. Proposals must aim to address a gap in the current base of knowledge about responding to and preventing crime and be developed or implemented in a way that allows other communities or organizations to learn from and potentially replicate the approach. All registrations and applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 21, 2011. Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 3/2/2011 8:00 AM
 Every day, in the course of their duties, law enforcement officers observe suspicious behaviors and receive such reports from concerned civilians, private security, and other government agencies. What might not seem significant at the time, when combined with other circumstances, may become a composite indicating the possibility of criminal—or even terrorist—activity. The 2007 National Strategy for Information Sharing called for the establishment of a “unified process for reporting, tracking, and accessing [suspicious activity reports]” in a manner that rigorously protects the privacy and civil liberties of Americans. The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative ( NSI), a multi-agency program managed by the Bureau of Justice ( BJA), answers that call by working with fusion centers and law enforcement officers across the country to create and institutionalize a means to share information and analyze data that helps detect and prevent terrorism and other criminal activity. Source: Police Chief Magazine
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Submitted: 2/25/2011 5:06 PM
The NIEM Program Management Office is seeking presentation proposals for the 2011 NIEM National Training Event (NTE) that will support the nationwide implementation and use of the National Information Exchange Model ( NIEM). The Call for Presentations is open to practitioners, the private sector, and educators. The NTE will include sessions on research, case studies, success stories, lessons learned, tips and techniques, and best practices. The topic areas include, but are not limited to, the following: Cross-Boundary Information Sharing; Governance; Use of NIEM within Enterprise Architecture and/or Data Management; NIEM as a Standards-Based Approach; Tools; Transformation Through Technology; Privacy and Security; Getting Started With NIEM. If you are interested in submitting a presentation proposal, please complete the online application no later than Tuesday, March 1, 2011.
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Submitted: 2/25/2011 8:00 AM
The U.S. Department of Justice ( DOJ), Office of Justice Programs ( OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) is pleased to announce that it is seeking applicants for the Smart Policing Initiative. The Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) seeks to build upon concepts of “offender-based” and “place-based” policing. This program furthers the department’s mission by assisting state and local jurisdictions in reducing crime and improving the criminal justice system. Registration with Grants.gov is required prior to application submission. All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on April 21, 2011. Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 2/24/2011 9:00 AM
The Tenth Annual Conference, NOBLE Youth: 10 Years of Positioning for Success, will be held in Lexington, Kentucky, on July 17 –20, 2011. The Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) looks forward to continuing support of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives ( NOBLE) and building tomorrow's leaders in law enforcement and other professions. BJA was a proud sponsor of the NOBLE Ninth Annual Youth Leadership Conference in 2010, which was designed to expose black youth to issues faced by law enforcement in combating crime and promoting public safety, while helping to prepare the youth for successful leadership careers in law enforcement and other professions. Source: National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Web site
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Submitted: 2/22/2011 11:30 AM
The phrase “homeland security is hometown security” is just as relevant today as it was the year following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. What has become increasingly evident is that hometown security means coordination of law enforcement agencies, justice agencies, and homeland security partners at the local, state, tribal, and federal levels. With so many stakeholders, a national body is vital to coordinate the numerous issues that arise when identifying methods and initiatives to protect our hometowns and homeland. To meet this need, the Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council ( CICC), a group under the U.S. Department of Justice’s ( DOJ) Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative ( Global), was established in 2004 to serve as the central point of collaboration across jurisdictions and disciplines. Detailed in this article is the history, purpose, responsibilities, current efforts, and accomplishments of the CICC. Source: Police Chief Magazine
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Submitted: 2/18/2011 8:00 AM
Recognizing the importance of information exchange standards and processes, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers ( NASCIO) has accepted an invitation from the federal National Information Exchange Model ( NIEM) Executive Steering Committee to become an ex-officio committee member. NASCIO will act in an advisory role and provide guidance to the NIEM Executive Steering Committee with an emphasis on state and territorial government. Source: NASCIO Web site
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Submitted: 2/17/2011 1:06 PM
The National Institute of Justice's ( NIJ) Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety (MAPS) program offers up to 10 need-based scholarships for selected recipients to attend the Eleventh Crime Mapping Research Conference (CMRC) in Miami, Florida on April 13–15, 2011. The application deadline is Friday, February 25, 2011, by 5:00 p.m. EST. Applicants must be either a law enforcement officer, crime analyst, intelligence analyst, researcher, college professor, or other criminal justice practitioner in the public or nonprofit sector and may not have attended any previous CMRC/ MAPS conferences. Current NIJ grantees are ineligible. For more information, including instructions on how to apply for this scholarship, please e-mail tammy.holt@ojp.usdoj.gov. Source: The Justice Technology Information Network Web site
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Submitted: 2/16/2011 9:00 AM
Sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), the Vera Institute is offering a free Webinar about Estimating Marginal Costs for Cost-Benefit Analysis in Criminal Justice. During the Wednesday, February 23rd session, presenters will define marginal costs, discuss their role in cost-benefit analysis and other economic assessments, and describe several methods used to estimate them. The presenters will also share tips on finding the necessary data and ensuring the accuracy of any estimates. This Web-based training is ideally suited for staff at sentencing commissions, statistical analysis centers, research institutions, government budget agencies, and legislative offices. [ Register Online] Source: Vera Institute of Justice
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Submitted: 2/15/2011 11:15 AM
Reductions affect law enforcement agencies of all types and sizes. In the following podcast, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice’s ( DOJ) Office of Community Oriented Policing Services ( COPS), Gordon Graham identifies some of the challenges and opportunities provided by reduced budgets. He also shares some insight on how community policing can help agencies save money and reduce risk. [ Listen to Podcast] [ Read transcript] Source: COPS Web site
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Submitted: 2/11/2011 9:30 AM
In recent testimony to Congress, U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano explained that “the terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland has continued to evolve and may now be at its most heightened state since the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.” Secretary Napolitano further explained that efforts to combat the terror threat comprise a four-pronged approach led by the FBI’s joint terrorism task force, and include locally run fusion centers aimed at facilitating intelligence sharing and analysis; a nationwide reporting initiative for suspicious acts; and the " If You See Something, Say Something" campaign designed to "foster public vigilance." The nationwide suspicious activity reporting initiative is a multiagency program led by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) Source: CNN.com
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Submitted: 2/8/2011 8:30 AM
The American Probation and Parole Association ( APPA), with funding provided by the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), released a bulletin entitled " Improving the Administration of Justice in Tribal Communities through Information Sharing and Resource Sharing". The December 2010 bulletin details the outcomes of a focus group consisting of representatives from four tribal jurisdictions as well as state and federal representatives who serve offenders within those four tribal jurisdictions. The focus group discussed challenges in establishing mechanisms for information and resource sharing. This bulletin also attempts to identify successful collaborative and partnering strategies that help offer needed services to tribal offenders and to help local, state, and federal pretrial, probation, and parole officers perform their duties more effectively and efficiently. Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 2/7/2011 9:30 AM
“Web 3.0” is an IT buzzword that’s appearing with greater frequency among the state and local government IT community. Explanations differ as to what it means in terms of implementation, but the overarching concept is “machine-to-machine” communication on the Internet. This means that in a growing number of instances, software applications — not the human end-users — will evaluate the usefulness of Web page content, online data, and sensor information. Where Web 2.0 was about users contributing data manually and interacting with one another regarding that data, Web 3.0 is focused on applications that search on behalf of users for data that’s likely to be of interest. An example is Utah's use of geo-IP technology to provide smarthphone users with location-specific public safety information. Source: Government Technology
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Submitted: 2/9/2011 9:30 AM
The Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) says it is set to roll out the N-DEx search engine and information sharing program to a wider swath of the federal, state, and local law enforcement community. The FBI has been developing N-DEx since 2008 and says that once the latest round of development is complete, law enforcement agencies will be able to search, link, analyze, and share information, such as case reports, on a national basis to a degree never before possible. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation Web site
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Submitted: 2/4/2011 9:00 AM
Upgrading its wireless network in 2009 to 3G has facilitated greater access to information, more time spent in the field outside station, and improved resource trackingand safety for police officers and firefighters in Marietta, Georgia. Now the city is working to test a 4G version. The greater bandwidth of 4G provides opportunities for more applications and greater management flexibility. The city’s IT department is developing a crisis management system that will accept updates from officers and firefighters in the field as well as communicate updates from the command center. Source: Government Technology
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Submitted: 2/2/2011 9:00 AM
The Office of Justice Programs ( OJP), National Institute of Justice ( NIJ) is hosting the Eleventh Crime Mapping Research Conference, held on April 13-15, 2011, in Miami, Florida. This year's conference will focus on solving problems with geography and technology. Workshops and plenary sessions will discuss foreclosures, geographic profiling, geographic information systems and policing, and geocoding crime data. For more information, including online registration, please visit the event Web site.
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Submitted: 2/3/2011 9:00 AM
The City of Richmond, Virginia, did not increase taxes or drastically cut its budget to weather the recent economic storm, but rather implemented innovative strategies to sustain operational capabilities and save money at the same time. A list of effective cost-saving projects implemented and discussed in the article include adoption of VoIP technology, reengineered server architecture, media targeted information websites, and information sharing between alarm companies and the dispatch center; a national standards project developed in partnership with the the Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) and DOJ's Global Initiative. Source: Digital Communities Web site
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Submitted: 1/28/2011 9:00 AM
Secretary Janet Napolitano of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) has announced that DHS will discontinue the color-coded alerts of the Homeland Security Advisory System in favor of a new system, the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS), that will more effectively communicate information about terrorist threats by providing timely, detailed information to the public, government agencies, first responders, airports and other transportation hubs, and the private sector. The NTAS will be implemented over the next 90 days in order for DHS and its federal, state, local, tribal, community, and private sector partners to transition to the new system. Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Web site
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Submitted: 1/26/2011 1:00 PM
The White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced plans to launch a new Program Office designed to coordinate federal implementation activities for the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC). The NSTIC is an Obama administration initiative aimed at establishing identity solutions and privacy-enhancing technologies expected to make the online environment more secure and convenient for consumers. The new national office would serve as the point of contact to bring the public and private sectors together to meet this challenge.
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Submitted: 1/25/2011 8:02 AM
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice’s ( DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA), the National Criminal Justice Association ( NCJA), and the IJIS Institute, the 2011 National Forum on Criminal Justice and Public Safety showcases programs and technologies that help justice practitioners and decision makers in states, local communities, and tribal nations address pressing public safety issues today and in the future. The National Forum will be held in Jersey City, New Jersey, from July 31 to August 2, 2011. For additional information, visit the event Web site. Source: NCJA Web site
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Submitted: 1/21/2011 9:40 AM
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Submitted: 1/20/2011 8:00 AM
Technology is transforming policing in fundamental ways as shown in the recently released Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2007 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) survey. New and emerging technologies are playing an increasingly crucial role in the daily work of frontline police officers, equipping them with tools that can help them be better informed and more effective. Given the increasing power and diminishing costs of technology, the extensive growth in mobile communications infrastructure, and the expansion of innovative applications, computer usage continues to increase in law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Source: Police Chief Magazine
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Submitted: 1/19/2011 8:41 AM
In addition to investigating online crimes targeting children, the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) works to educate kids and their parents about the Internet. In addition to other resources, they offer a Safe Online Surfing program to schools to help students understand how to recognize, report, and avoid online dangers. Topics covered in the program run the cyber gamut: depending on the age of the students, they might learn about password security, cyberbullying, virus protection, copyright issues, online predators, e-mail, chat rooms, social networking sites, when to talk to parents or teachers about a threat, and appropriate uses of cell phones and gaming devices. Schools interested in signing up for the Safe Online Surfing program should contact the community outreach specialist in their local FBI office. Source: FBI Web site
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Submitted: 1/13/2011 9:00 AM
Government and industry representatives came together at the IJIS Institute Winter Industry Briefing on January 6–7, 2011, in Washington, DC, to discuss the latest in technology and information sharing issues. The conference provided a means for government to talk with the private industry to coordinate and collaborate in the development of systems that aid law enforcement and protect national security. The economic climate has forced agencies and governments at all levels to cut back and rethink their use of technology. The social climate demonstrates that technology now touches every aspect of life which will continue to increase as younger generations further integrate technology into more aspects of their lives. Improved and technically-enabled Information sharing technology is a shared goal. Source: EmergencyManagement.com
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Submitted: 1/12/2011 5:30 PM
This article outlines a blueprint from the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) that led to the successful implementation of an impactful intelligence-led policing effort at a manageable cost using a variety of standards and solutions. The CSP enjoyed substantial improvements to key traffic-safety and crime metrics with innovative integration of people, best practices in data management, and creative use of widely available software. The approach can be emulated by other agencies. Source: Police Chief Magazine
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Submitted: 1/10/2011 3:30 PM
The annual American Correctional Association ( ACA) Winter Conference will take place on January 28 to February 2, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas. More than 70 workshops will be presented that address workforce issues, management strategies, health care and mental health, legal issues, security and technology, jails, planning and program development, reentry, and juvenile offenders. Major session speakers include R. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and Gene Stallings, a former collegiate and pro football coach. Additional information on registration and conference activities can be found on the ACA Web site. Source: American Correctional Association Web site
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Submitted: 1/7/2011 3:00 PM
Law enforcement agencies around the country are beginning to make use of predictive analysis software to anticipate and prevent crime. Police in Memphis, Tennessee, are using new software to analyze crime and arrest data and combine it with weather forecasts, economic factors, and information on events such as paydays and concerts to create predictive models. Additionally, police in Richmond, Virginia, and Chicago, Illinois, also are using, or have tested, predictive software. In Roanoke, Virginia, police have created the Roanoke Area Criminal Justice Information Network (RACJIN), a multijurisdictional system that uses data analytics software to help them identify suspects. Source: Government Computer News
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Submitted: 1/6/2011 8:00 AM
In this recent Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) sponsored podcast, James H. Burch, II, BJA Acting, talks with Ashbel T. Wall, II, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, as part of the Justice Matters series on the topic of Advancing Corrections Through Justice Reinvestment. This interview explores the concepts of reentry and justice reinvestment and how these two practices are connecting the field of corrections with the law enforcement profession. Earlier this year, the Rhode Island Department of Corrections was approved as a pilot site for a Department of Justice Reentry Information Sharing Project. To date, there are three states and one county participating in the program. Source: The Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 1/5/2011 8:00 AM
The Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) has established the Grant Writing and Management Academy for criminal justice practitioners and state, local, and tribal jurisdictions (including community- and faith-based partners) that seek or receive federal grants. This training provides an overview of project planning, management, administration, and assessment of federally funded programs. The training encourages participants to think strategically about how they develop and fund projects. Participants are introduced to a variety of methods and tools used to identify community problems, administer and manage projects, and assess performance. Source: The Bureau of Justice Assistance Web site
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Submitted: 1/3/2011 8:00 AM
The Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Line Officer Training was developed with support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance ( BJA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The training assists law enforcement line officers in understanding what kinds of suspicious behaviors are associated with pre-incident terrorism activities; documenting and reporting suspicious activity; and protecting privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties when documenting information. This training also provides information about integrating the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative ( NSI) into agency operations. Law enforcement officers interested in this valuable training opportunity may visit http://nsi.ncirc.gov/SARLOT/ to register. The SAR Line Officer Training is also available online through the Law Enforcement And Public Safety channel ( LEAPS.TV) and the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism ( MIPT).
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