09.13.11

Durbin Announces Nearly $1.9 Million DOJ Investment in Illinois Law Enforcement

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently awarded a total of $1,896,780 in grants to support the enhancement of two programs that provide research and technology for Illinois law enforcement. 

 

“Our nation's law enforcement officers are called upon day after day to protect America's citizens,” Durbin said. “As these brave men and women put themselves in harm’s way, we must ensure that they are equipped with the best tools possible to do their jobs well, and today’s grants will help meet that goal.”

 

The following Illinois entities and programs will receive funding:

 

  • Chicago Police Department (CPD), Chicago, IL: $1,500,000 in funding has been awarded to the Chicago Police Department to help implement prediction software that will assist in combating crime.  Leveraging off of work performed by CPD’s research partner Illinois Institute of Technology, the department will utilize computer-aided diagnostic systems that will produce recommended deployment targets based on prior data.  This new technology quantifies and maps gang activity, allowing for officials to better detect emerging areas of conflict.  The software will be reconfigurable to make predictions about multiple crime types or prediction targets.  The funding has been granted under the DOJ’s Predictive Policing Program which aims to cut criminal activity using prediction systems like the one the CPD will receive; and

 

  • Illinois State University (ISU), Normal, IL: $396,780 in funding has been awarded to Illinois State University to aid research and development of new crime scene investigation technology.  ISU researchers will explore the use of Ambient Mass Spectrometry designed to help detect and identify items of interest at crime scenes.  Items to be analyzed include gas, liquid, and solid-phase chemicals, as well as low concentrations of chemical traces on everyday surfaces.  Findings from this project will be used to develop and deliver an optimized portable crime scene investigation instrument prototype to the National Institute of Justice for evaluation, testing, and review.  The funding has been granted under the DOJ’s Applied Research and Development in Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes Program. This program seeks to provide law enforcement entities with cutting edge technology research, allowing departments to be better equipped to serve their communities.