California GIO Explains What Mapping Systems Can Do For Government

Many states have recently created the new office of State Chief Information Officer (CIO), in order to streamline their information systems statewide. Making such a move, will better allow state agencies to share data and communicate with each other.

Teri Takai, Califonia’s new CIO, recently announced the appointment of Michael Byrne to the office of Geospatial Information Officer (GIO). Byrne’s job is to take all the data from across the state organize it into maps that can correlate information. Such correlation is done at smaller levels, like crime mapping, but Byrne will be able to use data at much larger level and seen correlation at a state level.

Government Technology reports this week on a video posted by California’s newly appointed Geographic Information Officer (GIO), Michael Byrne. In the video, posted below, Byrne explains the importance of state-wide GIS for data sharing and analysis. He gets to the heart of what GIS can do and what it can mean for state governments, and by extension, law enforcement.

What this means for you, is that California (and other states that have begun to appoint CIOs and GIOs) will be able to more efficiently share information about crime and homeland security issues.

Watch the video below to hear Byrne explain it in his own words.

See a map of crime in your neighborhood at CrimeReports.com

Supporting Organized Crime and Terrorism through Pirated Movies

The RAND corporation recently published a study that links organized crime and terrorist groups to the pirated movie market. In 14 cases, the study finds that pirated movies either directly or indirectly funded organized crime. And in at least 3 cases, proceeds from pirated movies were linked to terrorist organizations. Although the study points out that the vast majority of pirated movies are swapped on peer-to-peer networks where no money changes hands, it is important to keep in mind that placing movies on a file-sharing network can allow others to download the pirated movies, copy them to a DVD, and sell them for profit. For the full study and its findings, click the RAND link above.