police

When I was a wee lad my family used to drive an hour north of the San Francisco Bay Area to visit my grandparents in Santa Rosa, Calif. My sister and I were at the age where we needed something to keep us busy at all times, so my grandparents often had to come up with things for us to do once the toys we brought along no longer held our interest. In one room of my grandparent's place, my grandfather had set up a recliner chair right next to a table with an emergency scanner on it. He … Read more

Sean Tice and Adam Bedient, directors of the online Web series "Streak to Win," join the show today to talk about college kids competitively streaking and the crazy antics they get into.

You can find the series online at streaktowin.com. On the Web site, you'll also find a guide to the best techniques of streaking. Most importantly, you have to be sure to tape down all appendages. Their words, not ours.

We also discuss a bit about how the Web is really opening up distribution for films that might get overlooked on the traditional festival circuit. These guys obviously didn't get too much love at Sundance when they pitched their film. And they share some interesting stories about getting arrested during the production of their Web series. Plus, plans for a follow-up featuring Ivy League streaking?

Also on the show today, we talk about a kid who mashed up Twitter, Twitpic, and the public arrest records of the Denton, Texas, Police Department. Kind of scary, but also pretty cool that there are more practical uses for Twitter than finding out that Ashton Kutcher just ate a sandwich. Just don't ever get pulled over for possession in Denton. These mug shots aren't pretty. As for Ashton Kutcher, we think this might be cheating a bit. There are starving people in the world, and someone donates money for this?

Be sure to send in your adventure stories and callbacks to 1-866-404-CNET (2638). Catch you all on the flip side.

For a short time, it seemed as if the Denton Police Department outside Dallas had been inspired by great communicators such as Ashton Kutcher and CNN.

A Twitter page, headlined "Denton Police," fed details of every arrest the department had performed, coupled with TwitPic mugshots.

This remarkable, real-time communication between the police and outside world surely was a futuristic forerunner to Texas' progression towards secession.

Until it was revealed to be the work of University of North Texas senior, Brian Baugh.… Read more

Is there an exalted life force breeding among the fine, uniformed officers of the U.K. police?

I ask only because the redoubtable sleuths of a publication called Jane's Police Review decided to perform a little analysis of the religious leanings of police officers.

Strangely, the United Kingdom actually has a Freedom of Information Act, which means that you can find interesting jewels of fact about public officials.

And so it has transpired that eight members of the Strathclyde police, Scotland's biggest force, are, spiritually, members of a slightly more exalted force: The Jedi Church.

Well, it's … Read more

Google Street View seems to have caused a little friction in the United Kingdom, as the British whisper loudly to defend their sense of privacy.

However, one group of people seems to have stared at the Street View camera cars, smiled, and been inspired.

Yes, the police took one look at the 360-degree cameras perched on top of innocent little cars and said to themselves: "We can do that."

Which is why residents of Greater Manchester will be delighted to hear that two Smart Cars, with cameras soaring skywards from their roofs will be patrolling their neighborhoods in … Read more

There's no more @AustinPD on Twitter. That's because it wasn't actually the official Twitter account of the Austin, Texas, police department, according to the Austin Statesman.

The link to the account now reads that it was "suspended for strange activity," and city authorities have asked Twitter to keep tabs on the impersonator's contact information after both the police department and Texas attorney general's office complained to Twitter. The Statesman added, however, that criminal charges are not being sought at this point.

"Although some may dismiss the site as a simple prank or … Read more

Carbon Motors is hitting the road with its next generation law enforcement vehicle to meet with state and federal government officials and promote its E7 police car.

The E7 prototype a step above the Ford Crown Victorias you typically see patrolling the streets. The high tech vehicle was designed in part based on input and suggestions from more than 3,000 law enforcement professionals. Chase ready, the E7 is equipped with a 300-horsepower clean diesel engine that propels the car from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph. … Read more

Michelle Owen was convinced that her ex-boyfriend (and father of her child) was not a nice man.

She was going through a custody dispute with him and was worried he was into child pornography. She was even more worried that he had used her laptop to enjoy his alleged perversion.

As a concerned citizen, she asked the police to examine her laptop. The Indiana police, also composed of concerned citizens, was delighted to oblige.

The detectives did, indeed, find some deleterious video, but surprisingly, it appeared to feature Michelle Owen and Toby the beagle.

May I quote the police report, … Read more

Police Blotter is a regular CNET report on the intersection of technology and the law.

What: Facebook photograph shows part-time teaching aide at Ohio high school with three cheerleaders holding Smirnoff bottles.

When: The Court of Appeals of Ohio, Twelfth District, rules on February 9.

Outcome: Conviction for allowing minors to possess alcohol upheld.

What happened, according to court documents and other sources: Most people are merely embarrassed by photos a friend tosses onto Facebook. Mary Ellen Hause went to jail because of them.

Hause, who worked as a part-time teaching aide at Springboro High School, near Dayton, Ohio, was … Read more