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Police

digital cameras

DC Lawmaker Wants Cop Guns to Have Mini FPS Cameras

A lawmaker in Washington DC has intro'd a bill to the city council that would require all police service pistols to have mini cameras attached to the barrel, which would start rolling as soon as the gun is pulled out of the holster. The tech is already being tested in Orange County, NY. Ostensibly, it's to prevent bad shootings and prove officers acted in good faith, but really I can only think of how awesome an FPS cam would make Cops, like that one scene in the Doom movie, except with intoxicated perps instead of demons from Hell. If it works in DC, I could see this spreading to other police departments pretty quickly as a way to quell lawsuits and such. [NBC4 via The Register via CG]

cellphones

How to Cover Your Text Message Tracks

It's Friday, so the mass of stupid and regrettable (and maybe criminal) text messages you wished you never sent is about explode exponentially, as it does every weekend. Google, as you know, keeps your embarrassing search history for "AZN Squirrels Pooping on Bananas" or "Iron Man upskirt" for 18 months. But how long do Verizon and AT&T hang on to your shameful SMSes? Thankfully, not long at all. Sprint hangs on to your textual diarrhea the longest, for about two weeks, while AT&T dumps them after 48 hours, according to Slate's Explainer. We hit up Verizon, who said a "couple days, tops." There are a couple catches, though. More »

tasers

Policeman Tases Guy, Sets His Pants on Fire

Ok, we know bad things can happen when the general public use tasers, but cops tasing a guy and setting him on fire? No... really? Apparently the 31-year-old in question was causing a disturbance in an apartment in Hamilton, Ontario, recently, and three police officers attended. Whatever happened after that, the police ended up firing a taser at him. Unfortunately when the high-voltage device went off some sort of flammable object in his pants waistband caught fire. He sustained burns to his hands and thigh, and had to be taken to hospital. Ouch. Someone at some point must've started saying "Liar! Liar! Pants..." [Danger Room]

cellphones

Trapster Mobile Service Helps You Dodge Speed Traps

A new mobile service called Trapster aims to help motorists avoid speed traps using a networked approach that calls on users to warn each other using their cellphones. Using simple keystrokes like "pound-1," motorists can report speed traps and red light cameras into the system. The information is fed into a map which will be used to alert drivers with GPS enabled cellphones of potential threats before they encounter them. More »

cellphones

Question: How Many Cops Does It Take to Bust a Ring of Cellphone Thieves?

This many, apparently. This was the scene in North London yesterday afternoon, as 600 cops in scary riot gear marched up a suburban street on their way to knock some thievin' heads together. More »

imperial eyes

Spy Drones Coming Soon to the US, AT-ST Walkers to Follow Next

Reuters is reporting that the Miami-Dade police department will "soon" start deployment of the infamous Honeywell Micro Air Vehicles, the spy drones that will keep all you criminals and Gizmodo editors in check with forward and downward looking cameras, flying over a 100 waypoint flight plan at 57MPH, and from 10,500-foot altitude. Seeing them hovering over the skies is kind of menacing. Actually, with the right music, it's downright scary.

More »

batman

Massive T-PLS Pneumatic Grappling Gun Out-Grapples Batman's

Remember in Tim Burton's Batman when he asked Vicki Vale how much she weighed before zipping upward in that alley to escape the Joker's goons? If Batman had a T-PLS pneumatic "tactical line-throwing system" with a 7mm Kevlar line and titanium grappling hook, he could've brought Vicki, some of her friends, Robin AND a bag of Scooby snacks (did anyone else see that crossover cartoon?) along for the ride. More »

busted

Police Take Down Dangerous Perp Armed With a Philips MP3 Player

Mechanic Darren Nixon recently got a rude awakening when he was arrested at gunpoint because a bystander and a team of British police both mistook his 4GB Phillps MP3 player for a pistol. Amazingly enough, the ordeal was not cleared up with a simple "It's an MP3 player stupid"—in fact, Nixon was taken back to HQ, swabbed for DNA, fingerprinted, and thrown into a cell based on suspicion. Naturally, the whole ordeal has left Nixon shaken and disillusioned with his local police force. Hey, at least he didn't get shot. Update: Additional pic after the break. More »

busted

The Fuzz Have a New Way to Bust Your Drunken Ass

You can chew all of the gum you want, but it won't save you from the latest weapon in the police arsenal against individuals driving under the influence. A new device dubbed the "Hawkeye," can record your eye movements/pupil size and accurately determine whether or not you are impared—regardless of the substance used. More »

mp3 players

Hidden MP3 Player Helps Gunman, Busts Detective for Perjury

A veteran NYPD detective is in danger of losing his job. A murder suspect gets his sentence reduced to a slap on the wrist, even though he was caught on surveillance camera shooting a man in the face in a Bronx elevator. Why? A little red MP3 player that was stashed in the shooter's pocket during the interrogation. More »

zapdos

Cop Tases Pregnant Woman for Trying to Leave Police Station

As tasers turn into must-have gadgets for self-defense and police officers alike, dubious tasings have apparently also gone epidemic, making taser-proof clothing a must for any activist's, driver's or breathing human's Christmas list. Today's exhibit: A woman walks into a police station, wants to give up her one-year-old, then tries to leave. Guess what happens? To be fair though, if she was more cooperative, she probably wouldn't have gotten toasted. [Liveleak]

skype

Skype's Encryption May be Used as an Excuse for Trojan Viruses by German Police

Skype's encryption codes are proving a problem for German police, who say that their officers are unable to monitor suspect conversations. One of the country's top cops admitted yesterday that the combination of VoIP technology and Germany's strict anti-surveillance laws — a reaction to the Stasi's exploits during the Cold War — is making it harder to keep tabs on criminal and terrorist activity in the country.
More »

freeze

E7 Cop Car of the Future Still Despises Batmobile

Carbon Motors would like to begin selling this made-to-order police vehicle to your local precinct. No, it's not just a fancily painted Dodge Charger. It's a car all on its own, the E7, made specifically for cops. And since it doesn't exist yet, ex-Ford employees at Carbon Motors are prepared to brag heavily about all the sweet new features: More »

smile

Pistol Cams May Keep an Eye on Trigger Happy Cops

Police in both Orange County, California and Newburgh, New York are on the brink of field testing the PistolCam —a 1.5-ounce camera fitted below the barrel of sidearms. As soon as an officer draws the weapon, the PistolCam begins recording both video and audio. Naturally, this technology could prove extremely useful for clarifying events during shootouts and "accidental" deaths at the hands of police. According to Newburgh officials, if the tests go well, all of their officers would be issued the device — although it remains to be seen how the officers themselves and the unions will respond. My guess is that they wouldn't want the cameras rolling when they shout "Dance!" whilst shooting at the feet of perps. [WREX via The Raw Feed]

robots

Standoff Climaxes When Suspect Shoots Bomb-Squad Robot In Face

While the Gulf Coast of Florida has no shortage of angry old coots living in trailers, this Saturday was the first time one of them shot a bomb-sniffing robot in the face (or well, the lens). More »

police tech

Osaka Police To Use Bunny-Shaped Police Lights, Send Fugitives Into Cute Overload

The Osaka Police Purchased 800 of these lights for use on special patrol cars that cruise through school zones. Pink Tentacle says these are made to win the hearts of school kids as the police chase bad guys. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think the NYPD would have the same luck rolling through a neighborhood like Bed-Stuy. [Pink Tentacle]

virtual tj hooker

Beijing Polices the Internet with Cartoon Officers

These cartoon cops are Beijing's latest war on the worldwide web. The animated figures will either walk, drive or cycle across the screen of internet users, warning them not to visit illegal sites. More »

flashlights

Pelican 7060: Own the Official LAPD Flashlight

If you regularly kick down doors and beat people over the head with hard things, you're either part of the LAPD or an action movie star. Either way, you should really be carrying this Pelican 7060 LED flashlight, the official flashlight of the Los Angeles Police Department. If you thought your Mag Light was both tough and bright, then you owe it to yourself (and your victims) to grab one of these. It even has a momentary pulse mode to disorient children. [Pelican]