The City of Long Beach, Calif., launched DataLB, an open data portal, which uses geospatial mapping technology for people to look up boundaries, health, infrastructure, planning, recreation and parks, safety, schools, and transportation information as it pertains to their area.

A bill filed last month with the California Senate for the 2017 legislative session would prohibit the acquisition of new surveillance technology without local government approval, as well as require all law enforcement agencies to submit a comprehensive Surveillance Use Policy.

The California secretary of state has improved access to more than 5.3 million records related to corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships through the creation of a new Business Search Tool, which allows citizens to have online access to data that was previously available only through in-person or mail requests.

With a rise in public mistrust of police forces in cities across the country, many police departments have been refocusing their efforts on community policing to re-establish public trust.

California has budgeted $3 million to analyze high-resolution aerial images of 410 urban water suppliers’ areas throughout the state. Water regulators will combine data from those images with data on climate, as well as other factors, to assist state officials in calculating new community-specific conservation targets.

The San Diego Foundation awarded an $80,000 grant to Cleantech San Diego to support water technology deployments at the City of Solana Beach. The grant will support public-private partnerships that encourage the adoption of smart city technologies and help achieve water and energy savings in the San Diego region.

Renters in San Francisco will now be able to pick their own Internet service provider in all multi-unit buildings.

California’s Department of Motor Vehicles asked the public to critique proposed regulations that would allow self-driving cars without a steering wheel or pedals on public roads.

As support for marijuana legalization grows across the country, police departments are looking for new ways to detect if drivers are under the influence of the drug.

States across the country are using innovative voting technologies to improve access, shorten wait times, and enable easier reporting of results. Alaska, Arizona, Iowa, California, and Minnesota all have new approaches.