Equipment and technology

The North Carolina First Responder Emerging Technologies Program collaborates with the State’s first responder agencies to navigate the rapidly-changing technology landscape by helping to identify the problems to be addressed and leveraging relationships.

A new line of research envisions mobile devices tapping into artificial intelligence to make reentry more efficient and more likely to succeed for those reentering supervisors, their supervisors, and communities.

The technique used to pinpoint mineral deposits, hyperspectral imaging, could be used to find humans, both dead and alive. An NIJ-funded researcher realized that the technology could use drones with sensors to cover large areas and find human bodies.

Understaffing, illicit drugs, contraband cellphones, and gangs were among top-of-mind issues for experts brought together to identify pervasive security problems facing corrections institutions — and new ways to address them.

Recently completed research supported by NIJ, closely comparing different types of facial analysis algorithms — including a long-time law enforcement workhorse — reveals that high-powered, deep neural networks can deliver improved performance.

The National Institute of Justice has helped drive development of face algorithms since the 1990s, and NIJ expects to remain engaged as the technology evolves and the operating requirements mature.

Local law enforcement agencies may be absorbed in their own particular challenges, but connecting themes emerge when chiefs from all corners of the country convene to identify critical challenges confronting law enforcement collectively.