St. Paul, Mn., Police Chief John Harrington wants to turn crime-fighting into a high-tech venture as a way to improve public safety without adding more officers, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Among items he’s considering: “Photo cop” cameras to catch red-light runners and, possibly, nab neighborhood speeders; “Acoustic monitoring” devices and cameras in downtown or other retail areas to help catch thieves, drug dealers, and other criminals in action; online forms that would allow people to send digital pictures and file their own police reports for minor crimes, such as vandalism; computerized maps to keep better track of sex offenders; expanded use of wireless technology or WiFi on cell phones or laptops.