Regional News - The Durango Herald

Man accused of deadly I-40 shooting surrenders to police

ALBUQUERQUE – Authorities say a man accused of a deadly shooting on Interstate 40 in Albuquerque has surrendered to police. Albuquerque police arrested 51-year-old Donald Durquett...

DATE: Jul 16, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Lawmaker: Expand compensation from nuclear weapons testing

ALBUQUERQUE â€“ A compensation program for those exposed to radiation from years of nuclear weapons testing and uranium mining would be expanded under legislation that seeks to address fallo...

DATE: Jul 16, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Enrollment increase for New Mexico medical pot program

SANTA FE – Patient enrollment in the state’s medical marijuana program has increased by nearly 10% since the start of the year. Medical marijuana provider Ultra Health on Monday h...

DATE: Jul 16, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Federal review says skier triggered deadly New Mexico slide

SANTA FE – A skier triggered an avalanche in January at a ski resort in northern New Mexico that led to his death and the death of another skier after they were overrun by snow, the U.S. For...

DATE: Jul 15, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Man facing up to decade in prison in fatal New Mexico crash

ALBUQUERQUE – A Sanostee man has pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse in a fatal car crash last year in New Mexico and is facing up to 10 years in prison. ...

DATE: Jul 15, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Longtime Navajo Nation lawmaker resigns, citing health

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – A longtime Navajo Nation lawmaker has resigned, citing health reasons. Nelson S. BeGaye made the announcement Monday in an emotional speech at the start of th...

DATE: Jul 15, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

New Mexico AG draws fire for working with NYU energy center

ALBUQUERQUE – The New Mexico Attorney General’s Office is drawing criticism for employing two lawyers funded by a New York University center that promotes clean energy and environmental laws...

DATE: Jul 15, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Man sentenced for having banned animals for Colorado hunts

GRAND JUNCTION â€“ A man has been sentenced for possessing prohibited, non-native sheep at his private hunting ranch in Colorado. The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported Sat...

DATE: Jul 15, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Footage of fatal crash involving commuter train, car damaged

ALBUQUERQUE – Authorities in Albuquerque may have hit a snag in their investigation into a fatal crash involving a commuter train and a car. The Albuquerque Journal reports camera...

DATE: Jul 15, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Prosecutors reviewing report on death of Albuquerque inmate

ALBUQUERQUE – Prosecutors are reviewing a 155-page report detailing the criminal investigation into the death of an inmate at the Bernalillo County jail earlier this year. The Alb...

DATE: Jul 15, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Man dies, wife injured in lightning strike on Colorado peak

DENVER â€“ A Denver man has died after being struck by lightning while hiking on a Colorado peak. The Denver Post reports the 36-year-old man died while his 37-year-old wife su...

DATE: Jul 15, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

Rock climber dies after a 140-foot fall in Sandia Mountains

ALBUQUERQUE – Authorities say a rock climber has died after falling about 140 feet in the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque. Bernalillo County Fire Department officials say sev...

DATE: Jul 14, 2019 | CATEGORY: Regional News

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

Photos: Ron Keller Invitational track meetDemons win home meet against local schools on Saturday

Demons win home meet against local schools on Saturday

Photos: Ben Nighthorse Campbell memorial