Public Safety: Page 7

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    Column

    Why public safety is turning toward AI and 5G

    In 2025 and beyond, it is expected that public safety professionals will prioritize both reliability and data-driven, real-time insights.

    By Maggie Hallbach • Jan. 8, 2025
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    In 2025, public safety technology will be a spending priority for cities and counties

    Priorities of cities and counties often define which public safety products and services are most in demand. Local government managers should aim to achieve quick wins as they acquire new public safety technology and services.

    By Michael Keating • Jan. 2, 2025
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    Why your municipality should take a vested interest in the background investigation process - and how tech can help

    The relationship between police chiefs and municipal leaders is a key partnership—one that is essential for effective law enforcement and community safety.

    By Kevin Zodrow • Dec. 24, 2024
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    When disaster strikes: How to minimize the fiscal impact of emergency construction

    As the scale and frequency of weather-related disasters continue to escalate, the financial burden on local governments is becoming increasingly severe.

    By Jo Medelman • Dec. 18, 2024
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    As wildfire threats grow, new funding is helping local governments convert trucks into wildland fire engines

    The Biden administration announced $20 million in available grants to purchase slip-on tanker units in areas with populations under 50,000.

    By • Dec. 6, 2024
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    Daphne Howland/Smart Cities Dive
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    Washington, DC, sues Amazon over slow Prime deliveries in underserved areas

    Prime members in two zip codes aren’t receiving promised benefits, D.C.’s attorney general alleges. The e-commerce giant defended its actions by citing concerns over driver safety.

    By Daphne Howland • Dec. 5, 2024
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    South Coast AQMD

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    2022 Crown Communities Award winner: Real-time air quality monitoring app from Southern California air quality management district

    For its benefit to the local community, inclusivity and the district’s outside-the-box thinking, AQMD’s Mobile App is a recipient of this year’s American City and County Crown Community Award.

    By Andy Castillo • Nov. 26, 2024
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    Opinion

    Loosening alcohol laws to revitalize your city’s economy is a mistake

    Cities must keep our public spaces alcohol-free to preserve health and safety, warns a policy consultant at the Institute for Public Strategies, a public health organization.

    By Daniel Skiles • Nov. 22, 2024
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    Harnessing data for safer communities

    When ranking the most significant developments of the digital age, the evolution of data storage does not garner many glamour points. Yet few innovations have had such a profound impact on the ability to develop new technologies and perform tasks previously unimaginable. The ability to gather, store and analyze almost unlimited amounts of data has transformed almost every aspect of society, including law enforcement.

    By Taw North • Nov. 18, 2024
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    Permission granted by Oracle
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    Sponsored by Oracle

    Technologies transforming public safety

    Learn how modern public safety technology solutions are helping police and law enforcement serve, protect, and engage communities.

    By Shane Ruiz • Nov. 18, 2024
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    Are combination inspectors a good choice for municipalities?

    The inspection process can be streamlined by using multi-disciplined inspectors, allowing for a more efficient use of human resources, reducing the need for a large staff of specialized inspectors.

    By David Adcock • Nov. 13, 2024
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    Opinion

    Community trust is a firefighter’s greatest asset

    Firefighters are society’s first line of defense against natural disasters. When catastrophes like wildfires, floods or earthquakes ensue, these professionals aren’t just tasked with preventing the disaster from spreading; they’re also responsible for keeping community members safe from harm and maintaining order under high-stress situations.

    By Robbi King • Nov. 5, 2024
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    Opinion

    Is the public safety department model the future of municipal emergency service?

    The undeniable fiscal constraints associated with local governance has challenged contemporary public administrators to achieve more with less. Budgets are stretched thin, and local government managers face increasingly complex service delivery demands from an electorate that loathes the idea of paying higher taxes.

    By Dr. Randall Bauer • Oct. 30, 2024
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    FTA orders transit agencies to protect workers amid rising assaults

    “No American should go to work and worry they will not return home safely,” the Federal Transit Administration’s deputy administrator said. Agencies must respond by Dec. 26.

    By • Updated Nov. 12, 2024
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    Modernizing municipal IT infrastructure: A vital defense against cyber threats

    This summer, Flint, Mich., became the latest in a growing list of U.S. municipalities to fall victim to a ransomware attack. This incident, which took city services offline for weeks, is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities many local governments face in an increasingly hostile cyber landscape.

    By Andy Lin • Oct. 3, 2024
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    Advancements in police technology have fundamentally changed how departments operate

    Consider the technology that makes effective policing possible. Where would we be without the ability to conduct DNA testing—or even fingerprint suspects?

    By Dean Cunningham • Oct. 1, 2024
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    2025’s top smart city conferences

    Smart city technology, housing, climate action, transportation, public safety and more take center stage at events in 2025.

    By • Updated June 27, 2025
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    Smarter, safer streets: How data and technology can save lives on U.S. roads

    In the years after the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life, a disturbing trend emerged on America’s roads: driving became significantly more dangerous.

    By Lew Miller • Sept. 23, 2024
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    Chicago’s transit authority looks to AI-powered gun detection to help curb violent crime

    As part of a continuing effort to curb violent crime and enhance security for riders, the Chicago Transit Authority announced Aug. 29 it would begin utilizing an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered gun detection technology in some of its existing digital security cameras.

    By • Sept. 20, 2024
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    Opinion

    How to build awareness of flood risk and gain buy-in for flood control measures

    Floods are one of the most devastating events to strike a community—costly in terms of lives lost, damaged or destroyed homes, economic disruption, and damage to critical infrastructure. However, improvements in technology are helping local governments provide accurate assessments of flood risk, so steps can be taken to provide early and accurate warning of flood events, minimize potential losses, and improve outcomes and overall resilience after a flood occurs.

    By Katherine Osborne • Sept. 13, 2024
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    Courtesy of Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union
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    New York enacts panic-button law to counter crime in stores

    The bill signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, which requires a host of safety measures to address store-based crime, was opposed by key retail trade groups.

    By Daphne Howland • Sept. 9, 2024
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    Homelessness response team heads to streets in Birmingham, Alabama

    As it does in some California and Texas cities, the organization Urban Alchemy will respond to certain nonemergency calls in Birmingham instead of the police.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 5, 2024
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    Charging Forward: Public sector EVs pose both challenges and opportunities for state agencies and their partners

    Across the country, state and local procurement teams are taking up the call to expand electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.

    By Steve Isaac • Aug. 29, 2024
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    Violent crime fell 6% in major U.S. cities in the first half of 2024, survey finds

    Boston recorded a stunning 78% decline in homicides in the first half of 2024 compared with the first half of 2023, representing the largest plunge in murder rates among 69 U.S. cities, according to an Axios analysis of data from the Major Cities Chiefs Association, an independent organization of police executives.

    By • Aug. 21, 2024
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    Flood monitoring product aims to make tracking flood damage more efficient

    Editor's note: This article was originally published in American City & County, which has merged with Smart Cities Dive to bring you expanded coverage of city innovation and local government. For the latest in smart city news, explore Smart Cities Dive or sign up for our newsletter.The amount...

    By • July 19, 2024