Briefs - The Durango Herald

Local student earns academic distinction

Durango native Amina Youssef, a graduate of Durango High School, earned academic distinction for the most recent semester at Whitman College. This recognition is given to students who have c...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Simon Donnaway named to Brevard College deanâ€™s list

Durango resident and 2020 Animas High School graduate Simon Donnaway has been named to the deans list at Brevard College. ...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Education

Christopher Johannesson named to SUNY dean’s list

SUNY New Paltz named Christopher Johannesson of Hesperus to the dean’s list for the fall 2020 semester. Dean’s list designation is reserved for students who excel academically and...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Education

Local libraries host “Chocolate, Good for the Heart and Soul”

Nicole Clark from the La Plata County CSU Extension Office will discuss the benefits of chocolate from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday via Zoom. Participants will why chocolate is good for ...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Great Decisions series to be held virtually

Great Decisions International Affairs discussion program will begin at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday and will be held via Zoom. The discussion subjects are presented to Great Decisions discu...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

SASO to host virtual class

SASO will host a class about Gender and Sexuality 101, “At the Intersections of Accessibility,” at 1 p.m. Wednesday via Zoom. The initiative aims to explore and engage gender and ...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Durango native receives COVID-19 vaccine from Air Force captain

Lt. Cmdr. Allen Cordova of Durango, an officer production recruiter assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group San Antonio, received the initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from Air Force Ca...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Community

Health department offers safety tips for Super Bowl celebrations

San Juan Basin Public Health would like to remind community members that taking COVID-19 precautions is still the best way to control the spread of the virus. These are some ways to enjoy th...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Local News

Striping operations set for U.S. Highway 160 at Walmart intersection

The Colorado Department of Transportation will perform striping operations next week south of Durango at the intersection of U.S. Highway 160 and Dominguez Drive, near Walmart. Crews will pa...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Local News

San Juan Basin Archaeological Society to meet virtually Wednesday

San Juan Basin Archaeological Society will host a presentation by Steve Nash at 7 p.m. Wednesday via Zoom. After a brief business meeting, Nash will present his talk, “Mogollon Ar...

DATE: Feb 5, 2021 | CATEGORY: Southwest Life

Fort Lewis College’s Art Gallery to host ‘Likes Charge’ exhibition by Melanie Clemmons

Fort Lewis College’s Art Gallery will host the “Likes Charge” exhibition by Melanie Clemmons with an opening reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday via Zoom and in person. An artist talk ...

DATE: Feb 4, 2021 | CATEGORY: Arts and Entertainment

DUI enforcement to increase for Super Bowl weekend

Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies encourage everyone to be safe during the Super Bowl DUI enforcement period from Friday to Mond...

DATE: Feb 4, 2021 | CATEGORY: Local News

Photos: Mancos BurroFest

Photos: Battle of the Animas

Photos: Animas River Days

Photos: Iron Horse Bicycle Classic mountain bike racesPlenty of spectators packed Steamworks Brewing Company on Sunday

Plenty of spectators packed Steamworks Brewing Company on Sunday

Photos: Iron Horse Bicycle Classic pro road racesCyclists had beautiful day to ride into Silverton on Saturday

Cyclists had beautiful day to ride into Silverton on Saturday

Photos: Durango High School graduation ceremony

Photos: Durango Big Picture High School graduates receive diplomas

Durango police chief says technology name of game in modern policingAI bodycams, first responder drones and more in store for DPD

Artificial intelligence, drone first responders and body cameras that can translate 50 languages aren’t far-flung concepts of some opaque Hollywood future anymore. Even in Durango, they are becoming staples of modern policing.Durango Police Department is embracing technological advancements in what Police Chief Brice Current described to city councilors earlier this year as a “cautious” yet “progressive” approach.Since at least April, Current has stressed how DPD’s top priority with new technology is reinforcing public safety. Since at least April, Current has attended various community meetings about new technology the police department is adopting, where he’s stressed how DPD’s top priority with new technology is to reinforce public safety. He has also addressed residents’ concerns about how powerful some new technologies, including Flock Safety and other automated license plate reader cameras, have become – an ongoing conversation between DPD, the city and advocates for tighter automated license plate reader regulations in Durango.At a Kiwanis Club of Durango meeting last month, for example, Current addressed Flock cameras and drones, and also the importance of trust and accountability for law enforcement.“It is healthy for the public – if we’re going to be one Durango and we’re going to work together – to question government. I question government,” he said.

Current said accountability for officers and third-party technology services is necessary, and that requires education and transparency.Evoking laughter, Current showed a video clip of a drone launching a net at a person.“It requires no training, no policy, and there’s no way we’re ever going to use this,” he said. “There’s lots of other technology out there that is really cool, but just doesn’t fit in Durango right now.”Grappler systems that cast nets to trap a car’s tires are no longer gadgets used only by Batman in films and comic books. Current said Castle Rock uses just such a system. But they aren’t a good fit for Durango.“Those are great tools, don’t get me wrong, but there’s some – like facial recognition, some other things – that just aren’t going to fit in this community and shouldn’t fit here for a long time,” he said.New technologies at DPDDraft One AI Reporting by Axon is an audio transcription service that can identify multiple people in a body camera recording and produce a police report based on what is captured.Current said he held off on trying a demo of Draft One for a long time, because although DPD has used transcription services for years, he didn’t feel comfortable bringing an AI-generated police report to court.But AI transcription technology has come a long way, he said.“This system can take five different people or more at a time and assign who they are and transcribe what they’re saying in the report,” he said.Another benefit, he said, is it trains officers to speak into their body cameras more regularly to record what they are thinking and observing. That helps the veracity of officers’ testimony in court.“When you’re pulling a vehicle over, you used to say in court, ‘(The suspect is) reaching under the seat. I saw him doing some stuff that made me feel nervous.’ And the jury’s like, ‘Hmm, you’re saying that now because you found 2 pounds of dope in his car. But is that really what you’re thinking?’” Current said.Now, officers speak directly into their body cameras to capture not just what the body camera sees but what they are thinking and how they are processing a situation as it unfolds.“‘I’m feeling pretty nervous right now. He keeps reaching under his car (seat).’ They’re talking to their camera. ‘He’s waited two blocks to turn to pull over. That’s odd,’ ... It’s teaching the officer to talk more about what they’re feeling in the reports,” he said.DPD is using Draft One transcripts in misdemeanor cases, although it hasn’t begun using them in felony cases, Current said. But he is confident it will start using them in felony cases soon.The police department’s body cameras are now able to livestream video to the police station and 911 dispatchers at the Durango Emergency Communications Center, allowing first responder agencies to monitor situations in real time.Current said DPD is looking into getting language translation capabilities in 50 different languages for body cameras, but that feature comes with a higher price tag and the police department is waiting on grant funding to make a move.DPD is also implementing AI software into its internal systems to quickly search statutes to determine what charges might best match a situation, to flag internal affairs reviews if officer misconduct is detected in video footage, and more.

By now, residents may have noticed one or both of the drone first responders DPD deployed this year to survey incidents faster than officers can reasonably be expected to arrive on scene.Police used a drone last month to locate a missing boy near the Animas River. The drone deployed from Durango Fire Protection District Station No. 1 downtown and arrived in the general area the boy was last seen – behind the Durango Mall – in just a few minutes.Police also deployed a drone last week to the scene of a fatal shooting near Durango Skate Park.Within two minutes of the shooting, police launched a drone and got an aerial view of the scene “within seconds” of it being launched, according to a DPD news release.A second drone was launched a minute later.“The Durango Police Department’s Drone as First Responder system arrived above the scene before officers,” the release said. “The drone operator was able to see that there was no further gunfire taking place as officers approached the area. This technology provided officers with real-time information and helped them arrive with a stronger understanding of what was happening on scene.”The two drones operate on about a 2-mile radius with flight times of about 40 minutes.

‘We’ve learned to vet them’DPD and the city began to face harsher scrutiny from residents last year after members of DeFlock Durango performed records requests for Flock audits that revealed vehicle and license plate data was appearing in searches by law enforcement agencies across the country that have 287(g) cooperation agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Flock Safety has faced pushback from communities around the country for what some opponents of ALPRs call a mass surveillance system of Orwellian proportions. Critics have bashed Flock for providing data to federal law enforcement, for questionable privacy policies when it comes to captured data and for a lack of oversight on how police departments use data.

Current has repeatedly insisted Flock cameras do not constitute “mass surveillance,” although he has acknowledged privacy and abuse of power concerns.He said things are changing for the better with Flock after it faced backlash for working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.He said DPD has always dealt with third-party technology services, and over time it’s leaned to vet companies it partners with.When legislation required police to start wearing bodycams, police had issues with camera companies not storing data as required by law.“Do we trust these groups? Well, we've learned to vet them,” he said.cburney@durangoherald.com

AI bodycams, first responder drones and more in store for DPD

Photos: Fort Lewis College commencement ceremony

Local student earns academic distinction

Simon Donnaway named to Brevard College deanâ€™s list

Christopher Johannesson named to SUNY dean’s list

Local libraries host “Chocolate, Good for the Heart and Soul”

Great Decisions series to be held virtually

SASO to host virtual class

Durango native receives COVID-19 vaccine from Air Force captain

Health department offers safety tips for Super Bowl celebrations

Striping operations set for U.S. Highway 160 at Walmart intersection

San Juan Basin Archaeological Society to meet virtually Wednesday

Fort Lewis College’s Art Gallery to host ‘Likes Charge’ exhibition by Melanie Clemmons

DUI enforcement to increase for Super Bowl weekend

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