The Department of Transportation hosted a Twitter chat on Monday under the hashtag #OpenDOT to get opinions on the agency’s open data policies.
Jane Holl Lute, the former deputy secretary of Homeland Security, is scheduled to provide a Tech Talk at the Symantec Government Symposium on Aug. 30 in Washington, D.C. MeriTalk caught up with Lute, who agreed to offer her thoughts on the evolving struggle between privacy and security, and a preview of her presentation.
A social media site that aims to embrace privacy asks for either a phone number, credit card information, the last four digits of the user’s Social Security number, or a postal address when signing up for an account. The website, Nextdoor, claims the information is used to ensure the people are who they say they are and that they live at the address that they provided.
Body worn cameras are becoming increasingly popular devices for police officers around the country. However, with a recent scorecard on BWC policy, Upturn suggests that accountability with wearable camera usage may be a widespread problem.
Some local police departments across the country are using body cameras to record interactions with civilians. A new app is available to civilians who also want to record those interactions.
A RAND Corporation report casts doubts on whether the Chicago Police Department’s algorithm-based, predictive policing program, which generates a Strategic Subjects List of people that the system believes are most likely to kill or be killed, is actually helping police quell violence in the city.
Advances in technology affect most industries, and law enforcement is no exception. Technology is allowing for more frequent recordings of police-public encounters, including police body-worn cameras and smartphone apps that allow anyone to record encounters. Some police departments are turning to technology to help reduce crime, and one report examines such an effort in Chicago. MeriTalk looks at law enforcement in the digital era.
The interconnectedness of the energy sector presents both increased challenges and potential, according to panelists at an Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology briefing. “The energy sector is clearly the backbone of all 16 critical infrastructures,” said Jay Williams of Parsons.
The E-Rate program, which has provided $25 billion in subsidies since 1996 to schools from the Federal government for broadband, internal wiring, and networking equipment, hasn’t correlated with increased test scores among students in North Carolina, a recent study shows.
The Department of Homeland Security announced a grant program with a ceiling of $10 million to fight violent extremism. The Countering Violent Extremism Grant Program provides an opportunity for local and state governments to apply for funding that will bolster anti-extremism efforts within their communities.
