TECHBeat, June 2019

• NCJ Number: 253084
• Date Published: June 2019
• Length: 10 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2014-IJ-CX-K404
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description; Instructional Material (Programmed)

Annotation

Feature articles in this issue profile a video of technology that provides information on suspicious prepaid money, a workshop on rapid DNA and the identification of disaster victims, an anticipatory overview of a soon-to-be-released report on lawfully owed DNA due in late 2019, along with two short articles on gangs in schools and two police chiefs' discussion of their jurisdictions' response to the opioid crisis.

Abstract

"Video Highlights Technology to Provide Information on Suspicious Prepaid Money" notes that large amounts of money can be programmed onto prepaid cards and used for illicit purposes; and it describes a recent video on technology that assists investigators in obtaining information on suspicious prepaid money cards. "Workshop Focuses on Rapid DNA and Disaster Victim Identification" profiles a workshop in which participants learned skills in handling the aftermath of a catastrophic event and the role that Rapid DNA technology can have in assisting in the identification of a large number of victims. "Look for Report on Lawfully Owed DNA Later in 2019" lists and briefly discusses recommendations from a study with the working title, "Recommendations for Improved Standard Operating Procedures to Collect, Track, and Process Lawfully Owed DNA Samples." One article from "TECHShorts" presents an overview of the National Gang Center's Publication, "Gangs in Schools," which provides schools and police with sound practices and collaborative techniques for identifying, assessing, and addressing gang activity in a school. A second short article summarizes a video transcript of two police chiefs' discussion of the challenges of achieving the change needed across all the agencies with resources to address the opioid crisis, and they describe changes that have been made in their jurisdictions, along with the outcomes achieved. Public safety technology in the news is also reported.