Author: KBD Admin

State of Texas Announces Resolution About 100% Murder Closure

Posted on by KBD Admin

State of Texas

Resolution

WHEREAS, The Texas Anti-Gang Center of Lubbock collaborated with the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit, a partnership of the Lubbock Police Department and the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, to achieve a 100 percent clearance rate for homicide cases in 2024; and

WHEREAS, This commedable goal was reached thanks in large part to the TAG Center’s use of advanced surveillance technology, including Flock Safety and DW Systems devices, to aid in its investigations; other resources utilized by the TAG Center have included digital forensics tools and an armored critical incident vehicle known as The Rook, which has been deployed on more than a dozen occasions to counties within the agency’s service area; and

WHEREAS, The Tag Cetner has further assisted the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit by providing evidence for investigations with the LeoTech Verus jail call system; since July 2023, the agency has disseminated nearly 120 investigative leads to jail facilities, which have helped metro police acquire warrants and negotiate plea bargains in homicide cases; the TAG Center is currently working to integrate three other counties in the vicinity of Lubbock into this system; and

WHEREAS, the TAG Center has been supported greatly in its crime investigation efforts by grant funding provided by the State of Texas; construction is currently underway on a new TAG Center building in Lubbock, and the agency is expected to relocate to the facility within the next year; and

WHEREAS, The Texas Anti-Gang Center of Lubbock and the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit have set an outstanding example through their collaborative efforts to combat crime, resolve open cases, and ensure the safety of their community, and they are indeed deserving of special recognition for their fine work; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Texas Anti-Gand Center of Lubbock be congratulated on achieving a 100 percent homicide clearance rate in 2024 through its partnership with the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit and that all those associated with the entities be extended sincere best wishes for continued success with their important work.

Dustin Burrows
Speaker of the House
State of Texas House of Representatives

FBI El Paso and U.S. Border Patrol Capture International Fugitive

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El Paso, Texas—Agents from the FBI El Paso’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the U.S. Border Patrol located and arrested Michelle Angelica Pineda, aka “La Chely” at a local motel. Pineda, a Mexican national, was wanted by the Government of Mexico (GMO) for her involvement in five homicides and suspected in multiple other homicides in Cuidad de Juarez.

On February 15, 2024, members of the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force, El Paso Police Department’s Gang Unit, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division, and U.S. Border Patrol learned through an active investigation that Pineda had entered the U.S. illegally and was operating a drug trafficking ring on behalf of the “Artistas Assessino” gang located in Mexico. Pineda was known for her extreme brutality such as dismembering bodies, removing hearts, and placing the hearts in front of “Sante Muerte” altars and statutes.

In the early morning hours, FBI El Paso agents, U.S. Border Patrol BORTAC operators, El Paso Police Department Gang officers, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents, discovered several firearms, machetes, fentanyl pills, powdered fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, Xanax, and methamphetamine in the hotel room she was located in. Pineda was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. FBI and U.S. Border Patrol agents then escorted her to the port of entry to be transferred into the custody of the Chihuahua State Police and the State Attorney General of Chihuahua (FISCALÍA ).

“Today’s deportation highlights the swift action of our agents and our significant partnerships by successfully taking a violent assassin off our streets and putting her back into the hands of Mexican law enforcement to be tried for her crimes,” said John Morales, FBI El Paso special agent in charge. “Working hand-in-hand with our partners whether in law enforcement, the private sector, and with foreign law enforcement agencies is paramount in order to keep people like Pineda from bringing violence and drugs into our lives and poisoning our communities.”

“Through shared determination, local, state, federal, and international agencies joined forces to stand as testament to the power of collaboration in the pursuit of justice, transcending borders to safeguard our communities,” said El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Anthony Scott Good. “I could not be more grateful to this alliance of law enforcement partners.”

This investigation was the result of a multi-agency effort from the FBI’s Safe Street Task Force, located at the Texas Anti-Gang Center which consists of the FBI, the El Paso Police Department Gang Unit, the El Paso Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division, El Paso Independent School District Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and private sector firm, Leo Technologies.

Contact LeoTech at
[email protected] | 310.526.3890

Georgia Department of Corrections Chooses LeoTech to Combat Criminal Activity

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LOS ANGELES, CA, April 7, 2021—The State of Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) has selected LeoTech as its sole source for phone monitoring transcription services. The selection follows a successful trial for the GDC. 

Facility security, crimes against persons, and gang activity topped the list of incidents captured by LeoTech during a trial of Verus software within the Georgia GDCin 2020. Within 30 days of activation, Verus processed 260,662 phone calls and flagged 33 incidents for investigation, including stimulus check fraud. Verus also flagged evidence that helped in the investigation of a white supremacist gang operating behind bars.

Since March 2020, Verus has monitored more than 7.5 million calls and delivered actionable evidence of criminal activity in 1,612 calls. The AWS natural language processing software embedded in Verus indicated the most frequent topics discussed among inmates and their outside sources that focused on weapons, contraband, cell phones, threats to inmates, gangs, homicides, assaults, and suicide.

“We built LeoTech to provide law enforcement with the best tools to counter criminal activity,” CEO Scott Kernan said. “Investigators leverage the information Verus collects and help prison systems shut down criminal activity that threatens inmates, staff, and surrounding communities.”

Built on the AWS platform, Verus is delivered as a cloud-based application, requiring no infrastructure changes for installation while also allowing for scalability to institution size or call volume. AWS Natural Language Processing (NLP) supports non-biased phone call analysis and transcription, enabling keyword-based searches and alerts. AWS Translation allows for immediate toggling between Spanish transcripts and English translations.

Verus is the only solution currently available on the market that offers continuous monitoring of phone calls and near real-time notifications on words that signal criminal intent. Its customizable law enforcement-oriented lexicon can be easily updated per location. In addition, Verus provides secured hosting of transcriptions through CJIS-compliant server hosting services.

Machine learning technology, together with investigative expertise, helps the system build out the keywords that Verus uses to identify crime, including slang and code words common among criminals, even on a hyper-local basis. “Our investigators have extensive knowledge of trends,” Kernan said. “Our technology leverages information faster and allows us to adapt to evolving scenarios and understanding of local slang. This in turn, results in better intelligence. This capability was a must-have for GDC, and we’re proud to support them.”

Contact LeoTech at
[email protected] | 310.526.3890

LeoTech Partners with Deliverfund to Fight Human Trafficking

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LOS ANGELES, CA, February 4—LeoTech, a Los Angeles-based company providing technology to the corrections and law enforcement sector, has announced a partnership with the nonprofit DeliverFund to fight human trafficking.

Verus, developed by LeoTech, is a cloud-based software installed on top of phone systems within correctional and detention facilities. It automatically downloads, analyzes, and transcribes all recorded calls from inmates and detainees, proactively flags them for review, and provides immediate actionable intelligence in near real-time to investigators and correctional staff.

“The ability to search for keywords and set automated alerts gives Verus its power,” notes CEO Scott Kernan. “We’ve encountered criminals brazenly using jail phone systems to conduct sex trafficking crimes from behind bars. Keyword alerts have helped investigators uncover criminal conspiracies and take victims to safety.”

DeliverFund focuses on combatting human trafficking through technology and training, and through support services for victims. Founded by intelligence and military experts, DeliverFund has developed a proprietary human trafficking database and offers courses to law enforcement agencies. “The market for human trafficking is growing,” notes Michael Fullilove, Chief of Operations for DeliverFund. “It puts more than $975 million in the pockets of human traffickers every year. The epidemic is growing and it’s impacting neighborhoods around the country.”

LEO Technologies’ solutions are in use in metropolitan areas around the country and in states such as Alabama, California, and New York and have recently been adopted by the state Department of Corrections in Oklahoma. Verus has played a critical role in criminal investigations, such as the high-profile cases of Cupcake McKinney and Aniah Blanchard.

“Our missions overlap when it comes to the fight against human trafficking,” Kernan says. “We’re proud to support DeliverFund and their work to end this terrible trade.”

LeoTech is a leading-edge provider of technology for the corrections and law enforcement sectors. The company, a partner of Amazon Web Services, has recently been named to the AWS Public Safety and Disaster Response Competency. 

To schedule an interview with Mr. Scott Kernan, contact LeoTech at [email protected] or 310.526.3890

LeoTech Named to AWS Public Safety and Disaster Response Competency

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LOS ANGELES, CA, December 4—LeoTech is one of only 16 companies worldwide to be added to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Public Safety and Disaster Response (PSDR) Competency in the re:Invent Launch. As part of the AWS PSDR Competency, LEO Technologies will be featured in Amazon’s Technology Partner Section.

AWS extended this invitation to specialized AWS Partners in the public safety sector globally based on their proven success in helping customers leverage AWS cloud technology to prepare for, respond to, and recover from public safety emergencies. The AWS Competency kicks off the new AWS Competency Programs which identify, validate, and promote top AWS Partner Network (APN) Partners who demonstrate technical proficiency and customer success in specialized solution areas.

To receive the AWS Competency designation, AWS Partners go through rigorous technical validation with specialized AWS Solutions Architects and global segment leaders. “We’re very proud to achieve this distinction,” says LeoTech’s CEO Scott Kernan. “We’re in exclusive company. The AWS cloud platform offers capabilities that help our clients mitigate dangerous situations, especially this year with the pandemic.”

Verus, the company’s cloud-based inmate phone monitoring software, has helped jails and prisons respond to the emergency conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. LeoTech supported the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) while they launched the COVID-19 Industry Action Group in April 2020 to organize private and nonprofit sectors to assist law enforcement and first responders.

Verus has helped correctional facilities monitor and respond to potentially unsafe situations is effectively being used in jurisdictions across the country, leading to faster investigations and safer policing. “We deployed Verus by LeoTech in August 2020, and it is one the best force multipliers for my agency in its pursuit to make our communities safer and our agency more responsive,” said Chief of Police Art Acevedo, Houston Police Department. “Through this technology, we are working in near real time with all of our stakeholders at every level of government and are impacting issues facing Houston and communities throughout our state.”

Built on the AWS platform, Verus is delivered as a cloud-based application, requiring no infrastructure changes for installation while also allowing for scalability to institution size or call volume. AWS Natural Language Processing (NLP) supports non-biased phone call analysis and transcription, enabling keyword-based searches and alerts. Finally, AWS Translation allows for immediate toggling between Spanish transcripts and English translations.

“The use of our tools impacts those within jails and prisons and the safety of the greater community,” notes Mr. Kernan. “Our partnership with AWS makes our work possible.”

Contact LeoTech at
[email protected] | 310.526.3890

Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office Awarded $700K for Innovative Policing Strategies

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Suffolk County, NY,   November 16, 2020 – The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, a LeoTech customer, has received a $700K grant for tackling chronic crime with innovative, evidence-based solutions. The grant funds will support the county’s use of Verus, a patented cutting-edge software by LeoTech that leverages artificial intelligence to monitor inmate phone calls. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is one of 10 jurisdictions selected by the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance to receive this grant.

Verus by LeoTech advances the technology-based approach introduced by Suffolk County Sheriff Dr. Errol D. Toulon, Jr.  This new, sophisticated tool integrates into correctional phone systems, and converts calls into searchable transcripts—to reduce crime, drug and sex trafficking, while also alerting correctional officers to mental health issues among inmates. Verus has even been used to support the COVID-19 response. A versatile and effective tool, Verus saves jurisdictions time and money in their criminal investigations and inmate interventions.

“When we developed Verus, we wanted to expedite the delivery of actionable information so law enforcement and health practitioners working with inmates could respond quickly to rapidly evolving situations,” said LeoTech CEO Scott Kernan.

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office is leading the way to gain optimal advantage for its crime-fighting force. Sheriff of Suffolk County, Dr. Errol D. Toulon, Jr. has been a strong advocate of the use of data analytics and technology in his jurisdiction. LeoTech has been honored to work with his team to use actionable intelligence to prevent crime and foster inmate rehabilitation, which have been top priorities throughout Sheriff Toulon’s tenure.

“Sheriff Toulon and his team are an excellent model of successfully leveraging technology to enhance his staff’s investigative capabilities and opportunities.” said Kernan. “Verus equips the Suffolk County team in solving crime, creating safer communities, and addressing critical mental healthcare issues that lead to inmate rehabilitation.”

Sheriff Toulon has more than 30 years of criminal justice experience, mainly in corrections intelligence and combating gang violence. Prior to serving as Suffolk County Sheriff, Toulon worked for 22 years as a uniformed member of service with the New York City Department of Correction, including implementing new techniques as deputy commissioner of operations for the New York City Department of Correction.

“Early adoption of technological solutions has long-term benefits for communities throughout the United States,” says Kernan. “We hope Suffolk County is the first of many jurisdictions we can partner with to obtain funding to modernize safe policing.”

Today’s award for Strategies in Policing Innovation is part of a sweeping $458 million in federal grant funding to support state, local, and tribal law enforcement efforts to fight and prevent violent crime in jurisdictions across the United States.

Contact LeoTech at
[email protected] | 310.526.3890

What is LeoTech?

Posted on by KBD Admin

At LeoTech, we “hear the voices that matter.” But what does that mean? How do our products support not only police but entire communities, including inmates in jails and prisons? This is the first post in a series about our company, our people, and the critical needs behind our work.

LeoTech from the beginning

Our company was founded by law enforcement officers (LEOs) committed to law enforcement reform.  These LEOs saw the gaps left by using outdated practices and the need to bring policing into modern times. They saw firsthand how inmate phone services in jails and prisons routinely recorded phone calls but never gave LEOs an easy, non-biased way to search for important information within specific calls. Millions of minutes of recorded phone calls could not be accessed except through hours of listening—hours that no agency or facility could spare.

At the same time, they knew that these phone calls contained valuable intelligence. This intelligence could be related to existing investigations or could be used to intervene in ongoing crime. Cries for help from vulnerable inmates were also hidden within these phone calls, information that could potentially save lives.

Filling the resource gap

LeoTech developed Verus as a way to fill this resource gap. Using the power of artificial intelligence, Verus uses non-biased Natural Language Processing to enable not only searches of phone call transcripts but proactive alerts on keywords.

Most importantly, Verus was developed to be a non-biased, objective tool. The natural language processing technology behind AI focuses only on the actual words transcribed from a phone call—not the caller’s identity. Verus has no way to search calls by federally protected classes such as race, age, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexuality. Investigators may only search for calls by objective data, such as inmate name, date of call, or keyword.

Soon our company expanded into Warden, a complementary tool that detects illicit mobile phones in jails and prisons. The dangers of these contraband phones are well-known: enabling violence and smuggling within facilities and helping inmates plan crimes in outside communities.

Sharing information, caring for inmate well-being

LeoTech prides itself on working with law enforcement agencies that are willing to share information and are open to progressive ideas in policing. We partner with innovative area crime centers that share information across multiple jurisdictions and agencies at all levels. Transparency with the intelligence gained from Verus is important to us.

Concern for inmate safety and health is critical for our company. Our CEO, Scott Kernan, is the former Secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he worked to reduce the inmate population and remove harsh isolation policies.

LeoTech knows that inmates often do not feel comfortable asking the people to whom they have been entrusted for the help they need. Inmates may speak more frankly in phone calls to friends and family. Because of immediate keyword alerts, Verus helps support inmate physical health, mental health, and safety. In 2019 alone, Verus was involved in 88 suicide prevention incidents in multiple facilities. Verus has also helped identify inmates going through opioid withdrawal or who were threatened by sexual assault. The immediate information from Verus allowed staff to proactively connect at-risk inmates with critical services.

Please check back with us regularly as we explore topics such as inmate health, privileged communications, and why the U.S. Constitution is at the heart of our work.

National Sheriff’s Association Teams with LeoTech on COVID-19 Industry Action Group for Correctional Facilities

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ALEXANDRIA, VA, April 13, 2020—The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) has formed an action group with industry partners, including LeoTech and Amazon Web Services (AWS), to help sheriffs’ offices get vital supplies as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. LeoTech is working with NSA to offer a 90-day trial of their inmate phone monitoring system, Verus, for qualified agencies to support pandemic-related mitigation efforts in their facilities.

Agencies interested in participating should visit LeoTech to request a demo and find out more about the Verus trial.

Verus is an AI-based technology developed on the AWS platform which automatically transcribes, monitors, and flags inmate phone calls. The system uses machine learning and automated speech recognition to identify specific conversations based on keywords. Transcriptions can be searched by keywords or other data. The system automatically translates Spanish transcriptions into English.

“NSA is committed to providing solutions that support the health and safety of our deputies and inmates during this crisis,” says Jonathan Thompson, NSA’s CEO and executive director. “Verus is an immediately available resource that can be implemented in inmate phone systems right now.”

“No other tool readily available on the market ingests, processes, transcribes, and analyzes the volume of inmate calls as Verus,” Ryan Reynolds of AWS notes.

“The threat level is at 10 now,” says LeoTech’s CEO Scott Kernan, former Secretary of Corrections for California. “Inmates and staff are at a high level of risk. We also have to face the fact of increased potential for lawsuits. Verus can play a critical role in protecting personnel and inmates while mitigating liability.”

In March, LeoTech noted that 10% of calls in facilities using Verus were related to the pandemic. In one incident, a directed search for the term “coughing” revealed a call recipient discussing coughing with jail staff.

Sheriffs around the country are seeing first-hand how Verus can help. “I was recommended this tool prior to [the] pandemic and took LEO up on a 90-day pilot,” states Sheriff Matthew Wade of Calhoun County, Alabama. “Not only can my investigators not live without it in the course of their normal duties, I am using the tool to mitigate future lawsuits after COVID has left my jails. The inmates are describing, in their own words, how my team is working to keep them safe and clean.”

“We are proud to work with NSA during this national emergency impacting sheriffs’ offices around the country,” says Kernan.

COVID-19: Correctional Leaders Association Resources Made Live

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March 20, 2020, Washington, DC – The Correctional Leaders Association (CLA), a partner of LeoTech, has put together a page of resources, solutions, products, and services for correctional leaders during this time of crisis. The page includes a fact sheet detailing how Verus by Leotech is currently supporting facilities from California to New York to Alabama. The page also lists COVID-19 links and updates from agencies and organizations around the country.

Please visit the CLA COVID-19 Resource page today to learn more.

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