10 millions de dollars pour un serious game sécuritaire

Raytheon BBN Technologies has been awarded a $10.5 million multi-year contract to develop serious games that result in better decision-making by teaching participants to recognize and mitigate the effects of their own biases when analyzing information used to make decisions.

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), through an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) contract, has awarded Raytheon BBN Technologies a $10.5 million multi-year contract under the Sirius program. BBN is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company. The goal of the Sirius program is to develop serious games that result in better decision-making by teaching participants to recognize and mitigate the effects of their own biases when analyzing information used to make decisions.

> http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20111118-game-to-improve-defense-homeland-security-decision-making

Evaluating the Use of Public Surveillance Cameras for Crime Control and Prevention

A growing number of cities are using surveillance cameras to reduce crime, but little research exists to determine whether they’re worth the cost. With jurisdictions across the country tightening their belts, public safety resources are scarce—and policymakers need to know which potential investments are likely to bear fruit. This research brief summarizes the Urban Institute’s series documenting three cities use of public surveillance cameras and how they impacted crime in their neighborhoods.

> http://www.urban.org/publications/412401.html

> http://homelandsecuritynewswire.com/study-shows-surveillance-cameras-reduce-crime-some-cases

Combating tech-fueled flash mobs a new problem for police

With the help of cell phones and social networking sites, spontaneous swarms of youths have rushed into convenience stores or assaulted bystanders in a rash of "flash mobs" across the United States; law enforcement officials are struggling to find a way to effectively combat this new phenomenon which does not impede on privacy rights

With the help of cell phones and social networking sites, spontaneous swarms of youths have rushed into convenience stores or assaulted bystanders in a rash of “flash mobs” across the United States.

Most recently surveillance cameras recorded several dozen young people flooding into convenience stores in Germantown, Maryland and Washington, D.C. where they stole armfuls of snacks and drinks as employees watched helplessly.

Meanwhile earlier this month, city leaders in Philadelphia were forced to impose an early curfew on certain areas of the city after roving bands of teens beat and robbed residents in a wave of attacks across the city.

Police say the flash mobs were organized using cell phones and social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

> http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/combating-tech-fueled-flash-mobs-new-problem-police

Une application pour décoder les tags des gangs

Law enforcement officials could soon have an app for their mobile phones that allows them to snap a picture of gang graffiti and have its meaning translated; gangs often use graffiti as a way of communicating messages like challenges or warnings to rival gangs and understanding its meaning could help fight crime.

> http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/researchers-developing-graffiti-analysis-app

> http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/news-App-Fights-Graffiti-Hazmat-081911.aspx?xmlmenuid=51

CrimeView Dashboard helps fight crime in real-time

In an effort to share information in an easily manageable format, the Chesapeake Police Department in Virginia recently implemented the CrimeView Dashboard; CrimeView is a cloud-based software system that allows an entire agency to monitor criminal activity in real-time with maps, charts, and reports

Law enforcement agencies now have a deluge of information readily available to them thanks to new technologies, but keeping officers from becoming inundated with too much information is now becoming an issue.

In an effort to share information in an easily manageable format, the Chesapeake Police Department in Virginia recently implemented the CrimeView Dashboard.

> http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/crimeview-dashboard-helps-fight-crime-real-time

> http://www.directionsmag.com/pressreleases/chesapeake-police-leverage-technology-with-crimeview-dashboard/193563