public safety News

Google Turns Android Phones Into Earthquake Sensors; California to Get Alerts

OAKLAND, Calif. — Alphabet Inc’s Google’s Android phones on Tuesday started detecting earthquakes around the world to provide data that could eventually give billions of users precious seconds of warning of a tremor nearby, with an alerting feature first rolling …

Earthquake Risk Prompts Order to Drain California Dam

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Worried that an earthquake could collapse a big dam south of San Francisco, officials have ordered its reservoir to be completely drained by October to reduce the risk of floodwaters spilling into Silicon Valley. The 240-foot …

Cuomo, Citing Safety Concerns, Vetoes Bill to Allow Electric Bikes, Scooters

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s governor has vetoed a bill to allow electric scooters and bikes statewide, his office said Thursday. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s veto message said the bill overwhelmingly passed by lawmakers this year didn’t include enough safety measures, …

California Governor Newsom Is Fielding More PG&E Takeover Calls

For California Governor Gavin Newsom, sitting back and watching PG&E Corp.’s bankruptcy run its course is no longer an option. The mayors of 22 cities are pressing him to turn the embattled power giant into a customer-owned cooperative. San Francisco, …

Scientists Warn Oregon is Lagging in Disaster Preparedness

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon state lawmakers abandoned a multimillion-dollar project to develop early warning systems for earthquakes and wildfires, and scientists warn that the funding shake-up could endanger public safety and put Oregon further behind other West Coast states in …

Most Perpetrators in 2018 Mass Attacks Made Threats: U.S. Secret Service

Most of those responsible for mass attacks in public areas in the United States in 2018 made prior threats or sent messages that sparked concern, the Secret Service said on Tuesday, in a study highlighting advance clues to such violence. …

New Hampshire Considers Lowering Drinking Age to 20

As much as New Hampshire wants to attract more young people, lowering the drinking age is no way to do it, a public safety official said Tuesday. Christopher Casko, an attorney for the Department of Safety, testified against a bill …

Smart Dashboards in Cars Raise Safety Issues

When it comes to dashboard displays that are more like smart phones, two things are clear: Customers want them, and automakers are intent on supplying them. But are they really a good idea? Car companies answer with an emphatic yes. …

Tech-Friendly Cities Struggling With New Web-Based Business Rules

A renowned technology hub that is home to some of the country’s top universities, Boston is emerging as an unlikely battleground for web-based businesses like Airbnb and Uber, with some saying more regulations are needed to prevent the upstarts from …

Mississippi Police Department Changes Chase Policy

Columbus Police Chief Tony Carleton has rewritten the Mississippi department’s pursuit policy to allow shift supervisors to decide if officers are to chase a suspect if he flees. Previously, officers were instructed not to chase a suspect if he fled. …