The five articles of this issue pertain to developments in technology for law enforcement, corrections, and forensic sciences.
"What Is Datacasting Anyway?" explains the importance of and how law enforcement agencies can create a capability for "datacasting," which involves "broadcasting data over a wide area via radio waves and may describe digital signals sent via television or radio. "Center Offers Web site Development Assistance" describes a program offered by the Small, Rural, Tribal, and Border Regional Center that assists agencies with fewer than 50 sworn officers in creating a Web site for the organization. "Illinois Distributes Portable Radiation Detectors for First Responders" describes how funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is enabling law enforcement officers and other first responders across Illinois to purchase portable devices that alert them to the presence of potentially hazardous radioactive materials. "System Streamlines Managing TV and Training in Jail" explains how an Oregon county jail has tapped into technology that allows jail administrators to manage inmate television viewing and provide information and training to inmates as well as jail staff. "In Any Language, Field Search Translates to Success"describes the features and uses of Field Search, a device that can be used by nontechnical law enforcement investigators to easily and quickly search a target computer for potential evidence, such as Internet histories, images, multi-media files, and results from text searches. Released in 2006 after being developed with funding from the Office of Justice Programs' National Institute of Justice, the latest update includes a number of new features drawn from a "wish list" created by users. "Techshorts" summarizes news on technology related to law enforcement, corrections, and forensic sciences.