Latest news with #publicsafety
CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
Federal Hill residents voice concerns after dozens of cars and businesses vandalized
Calls for accountability and a stronger public safety response are growing in Baltimore's Federal Hill after a weekend wave of vandalism left dozens of residents and several businesses dealing with costly property damage. Jen Covino, the Public Safety Chair of the Federal Hill Neighborhood Association, said at least 55 vehicles and three businesses were damaged. It is unknown whether all of the vandalisms are connected to the same suspects. "We need more police officers and more patrols in the city," said Federal Hill business owner Han Kim. "And leave taxpayers questioning why I am paying taxpayer dollars to the city of Baltimore if I am not guaranteed emergency services in public safety where I live," Covino added. New surveillance video from the Federal Hill Cleaners on Charles Street shows the front glass door being shattered on Sunday morning. "So it happened Sunday morning, early morning, around 4:15 a.m. I checked my camera," owner Han Kim said. Cameras were rolling inside the cleaners when three teens seen walking by the business tried to yank on the locked door. One teen kicked the door and shattered the glass. Kim says he's spoken with other victims to see what these teen vandals were trying to steal. "Very tiny things, like water or gum or quarters, or something like that, so they just wanna have fun or something like that," Kim said. Covino said that when she woke up Sunday morning to see what her neighbors were going through, it added stress to their daily lives by way of unexpected costs. "I felt sad to see a number of my neighbors wake up Sunday morning and look, you know, for companies to replace their glass. Most of these folks are gonna be paying probably $1,000 if their deductible doesn't cover it," Covino said. She told WJZ that more than 50 vehicles on her block received property damage this past weekend. "A number of my neighbors on this block have been victims of violent crime, particularly physical assault," Covino said. "We've had armed robberies happen on the street right in front of my former house over there."
Geek Wire
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Geek Wire
‘It's a game-changer': Seattle touts high-tech Real Time Crime Center amid privacy concerns
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes speaks at a media event Tuesday for the city's new Real Time Crime Center. Back row, from left: Mayor Bruce Harrell (white shirt); Councilmember Bob Kettle, Councilmember Sara Nelson, and Councilmember Maritza Rivera. (GeekWire Photos / Taylor Soper) The Seattle Police Department has formally launched a new high-tech operations center designed to help officers fight crime in real time — and is already seeing results, according to city officials. Mayor Bruce Harrell, SPD Chief Shon Barnes, and city councilmembers hosted a media event Tuesday touting the new Real Time Crime Center, located inside the police headquarters in downtown Seattle. The center pulls live footage and data from surveillance cameras and other sources into a centralized command room staffed by analysts nearly 20 hours a day. It supports ongoing investigations by pushing video and incident data directly to patrol units and detectives. Analysts can provide live updates and still images of suspects, a capability SPD says helps support its 'precision policing' model. In just under two months, the system has been used in 600 incidents and is actively aiding 90 investigations, according to city officials. Harrell called the system a 'game changer.' 'This is not a panacea, but it does mean we are fulfilling our promise to use every tool available to improve public safety,' he said. Not everyone is on board with the new effort, which takes advantage of new police-owned CCTV cameras in the downtown core, along Aurora Ave., and in the Chinatown-International District. ACLU of Washington last year cited 'evidence that these technologies do not reduce violent crime and disproportionately harm communities of color.' 'SPD's use of RTCC software would make it possible for ICE and out-of-state agencies to access data to arrest immigrants and prosecute people coming to Seattle for reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare while bypassing state protections,' ACLU said in a statement in September. Captain James Britt said data requests from outside agencies — including federal law enforcement — are screened and must comply with state and local laws. 'We control where all of our data goes,' he said. Captain James Britt shows live camera feeds as part of SPD's new Real Time Crime Center. The center, part of a broader crime prevention technology pilot launched under Harrell, uses software called Fusus built by Axon, the police body cam and taser giant that has an engineering office in Seattle. Axon last year acquired Fusus, a leader in real-time crime center technology. Britt said the software does not use facial recognition, gait analysis, or other biometric tools — but it can search video using keywords like 'red shirt' or 'black Toyota,' and it flags potential matches for human review. The city says it completed required Surveillance Impact Reports and has launched a third-party academic evaluation led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. In a follow-up interview with GeekWire, Britt emphasized that the system is not about replacing people — but rather enhancing staff capabilities. SPD has been increasing staffing after losing officers in recent years. 'All this technology has an incredible capability to change the way we do policing — to make us better, faster, and more precise at what we do,' Britt said. 'That's really what those of us in the uniform really want. 'We want to be able to do our jobs better — not more aggressively, not more broadly. We want to do what we do, but we want to do it better, and this helps us do that.' The center actually launched a decade ago but the initial version wasn't as integrated into real-time policing. A new legislative proposal would expand CCTV surveillance to Capitol Hill's nightlife area, SODO near the stadiums, and neighborhoods around Garfield and Nova High Schools. Harrell has supported a controversial gunshot detection technology system but said last year that the city would not allocate money to the initiative.
CTV News
7 hours ago
- CTV News
More than 50 charges laid during Pottahawk weekend in Norfolk County
The Ontario Provincial Police issued more than 50 charges during the annual boat party in Norfolk County, but they say all incidents were minor. OPP estimate approximately 450 boats and 2,500 people took part in Pottahawk weekend at Pottahawk Point. Between Saturday and Sunday, the police's marine team laid a total of 12 charges under the Liquor Licence and Control Act and 10 charges under the Canada Shipping Act. One person was charged with impaired operation. Meanwhile, over on dry land, one driver was charged with stunt driving while 24 other drivers were hit with speeding charges. Police said they issued a total of 32 charges under the Highway Traffic Act and two charges under the Liquor Licence and Control Act. 'Norfolk County OPP attributes the lack of any serious, possibly fatal incidents to the presence of emergency services who worked diligently to ensure public safety for the annual event, and to those in attendance who prioritized safety throughout the course of the day,' Tuesday's release from police read. OPP thanked Norfolk County Paramedic Services, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Coast Guard for their help keeping everyone safe.
LBCI
8 hours ago
- LBCI
Lebanon's Press Club condemns assault on journalist Petra Abou Haidar, calls for accountability
Lebanon's Press Club issued a strong condemnation Tuesday following the assault on journalist Petra Abou Haidar, urging security forces to identify, arrest, and refer the perpetrators to the judiciary for proper punishment. 'There must be stricter measures to pursue those who attack citizens and hold them accountable so that such unacceptable behavior is not repeated.' Abou Haidar, a news reporter and anchor at LBCI, was physically assaulted by a man and a woman riding a motorcycle in the Jounieh area. The woman reportedly got off the motorcycle and began beating and biting Abou Haidar, who is eight months pregnant. The recent incident has raised serious concerns about public safety and growing acts of aggression on Lebanon's roads, highlighting the urgent need for stricter enforcement and accountability.
LBCI
8 hours ago
- LBCI
Pregnant journalist Petra Abou Haidar attacked in road rage assault
In a shocking act of violence, LBCI journalist Petra Abou Haidar, who is eight months pregnant, was physically assaulted by a man and a woman riding a motorcycle with no license plate in Jounieh. The assailants accused her of cutting them off in traffic before blocking her car and launching an attack. The woman reportedly got off the motorcycle and began beating and biting Abou Haidar in an incident that has raised serious questions about public safety and unprovoked aggression on the roads. The assault, described as both inhumane and alarming, underscores what many say is a rising trend of lawlessness and unchecked hostility. Abou Haidar documented the incident in a series of videos clearly showing the faces of the two attackers and has filed an official complaint with the Jounieh police station. LBCI is calling on anyone who can identify the individuals involved to come forward and contact its social media accounts to assist security forces in the investigation.
