NCJ Number
220645
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 34 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2007 Pages: 164,166-170,172,173
Date Published
October 2007
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article describes the equipment and services the Chicago Police Department (CPD) has obtained and developed through grant funding, particularly from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Abstract
Total grant money Chicago/Cook County has received for homeland security purposes exceeds $47,280,000 under Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant funding and $543,000 in grants for Buffer Zone Protection Plan (BZPP) for 2007. These funds are used by the CPD and other public safety agencies under the city and county. The continued success of Chicago's innovation and implementation has provided precedent for continued funding, since many of Chicago's projects have provided models for national initiatives. Once funds are secured, they are managed so as to ensure they are used as intended. Grant money has been used to purchase two well-equipped helicopters, which perform security checks of key facilities and assist in crowd control, surveillance, narcotics enforcement, and other public safety operations. Also under grant funding, the CPD operates one of the most sophisticated fusion centers in the world, which assists in addressing regional intelligence concerns. It is connected with other regional and national fusion centers, providing Chicago with a state-of-the-art means of interpreting threat levels and developing appropriate responses. The center collects and analyzes information from crime reports, street cameras, license-plate recognition devices, drug and gang surveillance, and traffic stops. It provides investigators with instant, up-to-date information as they arrive at a crime scene. Other uses of grant money have included the installation of surveillance cameras on light posts and rooftops in high-crime areas based on crime analysis and community input, a technology that can read license plates from video captured by surveillance cameras, and the development of a nationally recognized information-sharing system.