Georgia Web site publishes parolee details: Parole Board officials in Georgia have launched an on-line database that allows residents of the state to obtain information on parolees in their neighbourhoods. Accessible via the Board of Pardons and Paroles Web site, the database of 22,000 parolees is searchable by zip code, parolee name and prison ID number. Information available on parolees includes a physical description, home address, start date and end date of parole term and the person's "primary offence". Photographs of parolees are also supplied and, if the parolee has absconded from supervision, the site tags their record with a "Wanted" sign and provides the parole office phone number. The database was established as a result of Senator Eric Johnson's Senate Bill 23, nicknamed the "Know Thy Neighbour Act". Johnson says the bill was "purely in the interest of public safety" and that the Web site will "allow citizens to have an 'electronic neighbourhood watch'".
UK police say virtual line-ups a success: Trials of a new system of "digital identity parades" have been hailed as a success by police in the UK. The VIPER (Video Identification Parade Electronic Recording) system, housed in a datacentre in West Yorkshire, has been used to supply video clips of suspects and volunteers to 13 police forces across the UK. Drawing on a database of over 9,000 images, the system speeds up the line-up process, reduces the possibility of cancellations and lowers the cost of identity parades. The system also means that victims of crime do not have to be in physical proximity to suspects, as the digital parades can be burnt onto DVDs and shown to victims in their homes or in hospital. Over the past 12 months, the STG7.6 million VIPER system has compiled over 14,000 digital line-up videos. The VIPER Bureau was officially opened by Home Secretary David Blunkett on March 14.
Saudi Arabia plans pilgrims' portal: Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Haj is to launch on-line services for Muslims who intend making the pilgrimage to Mecca. Speaking at a seminar about the ministry's e-government program, Dr Muhammad Saad Benton, the minister for Haj and Umrah affairs, said the government plans to establish a one-stop Web portal within the next six months to provide Haj and Umrah services. Haj and Umrah are devotional rites that form part of the pilgrimage to Mecca, which the Islamic religion requires all Muslims to make at least once if they are physically and financially able to do so. Benton said that more than 4.2 million travel visas were issued to pilgrims during the last two years, and the new portal would enable prospective travellers to obtain a visa on-line. Access to travel agents and hotels will also be made available via the portal, along with general information pertinent to pilgrims.
E-services gain popularity in Dubai: Three on-line services launched by the municipal government of Dubai are becoming increasing popular with citizens, according to the e-Government Committee. The three services, which have generated more than 60,000 on-line transactions, are all related to the planning process. One of the facilities is an SMS service that informs registered users about specific events related to planning. The second is an on-line demarcation service that allows contractors, consultants and residents to apply for surveys needed for construction projects. The third service provides information on-line for land owners, consultants and contractors about the zoning regulations for particular plots of land. Since its launch in October 2001, Dubai's e-government initiative has made more than 50 services available on-line.
Web phones to boost e-gov in Malta: The government of Malta is hoping to boost public use of its e-government services with the rollout of Web payphones across the country. The first ten Web-enabled phones are about to be installed in public phone boxes, with plans to introduce 70 more throughout Malta. The project, a joint venture between the Maltacom Group and the e-Malta Commission, will offer Internet access for a fee, but all e-government services will be available free of charge. The initiative forms part of the government's stated aim of bridging the digital divide in the country.
Quelle: electricnews
