Technology In Law Enforcement

Utilizing Technology: Law Enforcement Style
Ashley Fortin
Everest University- Introduction to Criminal Justice

Law enforcement officers are engaging in new technologies in order to better assist the community. Our world is evolving and moving rapidly into a technology based civilization, we rely on technology for almost everything we do these days. It only makes sense that our officers utilize the technologies that will help them conduct better investigations, and also keep themselves safer as well. Technology has come so far in law enforcement, in 1964 the only city that had a police computer system, was St. Louis. (Siegel & Worrall, 2010) There are so many technological advances that it is becoming increasingly easier to apprehend
suspects and criminals. However, more and more criminals are finding ways to try and “beat” the system and find ways to evade the police, which pose more problems. This makes getting our officers trained quickly in these new procedures a must, because the quicker they are trained, the quicker they can use the procedures in the field. So which new technological procedures do I think will be the most effective? Well, I think that HDS and TI , will be the most effective, and they are already proving themselves to be. These procedures require training, and can cost a pretty penny, but the fact is that it is worth it. High Definition Surveying has been used for quite a while in construction and contracting businesses, but more recently it has been found to be of great help in the law enforcement field. Basically what HDS does is it uses lasers to make three dimensional spatial coordinates that are calculated and stored in algebraic equations. (Siegel & Worrall, 2010) Essentially it makes a 3D carbon copy of the initial crime scene before anything has been touched. This gives the chance of contaminating the crime scene almost obsolete. HDS has helped many investigations, from the police all the way to the prosecutors. (Barnes, 2010) It also helps the jury to be able to see the crime scene as it was found, and having a 3D model is a lot easier to make sense of than the traditional 2D images that are usually shown. I looked online to try and find disadvantages and set backs of this procedure, and the only thing that seems to be an issue is the cost and training. The device itself ranges in price from $500.00 to $60,000.00. It also costs money to train investigators; you can however hire an outside agency to piece together the information and figure out the equations. (Spraggs, 2004) The next piece of innovative technology that I believe will be very effective is thermal imaging.
Thermal imaging detects body heat and shows heat sources by showing heat rays that are invisible to the eye. A thermal imager is a device that detects radiation in the infrared spectrum and is used in law enforcement to detect variations in temperature. (Siegel & Worrall, 2010) Criminals play a game of hide and seek when they are on the run, and it is very difficult to find someone on the run especially if they don’t want to be found. Thermal imaging has helped detectives and investigators find not only criminals, but missing persons, and remains as well. By using a thermal imager, and officer can monitor up to 1500 feet or more in any direction, and he can remain unseen while doing so. The TI will detect overturned earth because that area of the earth will absorb and release heat differently than the surrounding areas. Every object absorbs and releases differently, so some training will be necessary to understand the images that you see. (Harvey, 2006) This procedure also has minimal disadvantages and setbacks. The only ones that I found was training- requires some training to interpret, it’s expensive- the prices start at about $2,000.00, they are large and heavy, and it also has long startup/ warm up time.
(www) There are so many other devices and procedures that have, are, and will be effective. Our law enforcement officers risk their lives to protect us, and not only do these new solutions help to protect citizens, but they also help keep them safer as well. I think that the two I described will be just the tip of the ice burg and the procedures to come will be even better. I do however think that a setback of both would be, having to pay outrageously to be trained. The product already costs an arm and a leg, and its not like they are training a random person off of the street. I think officer’s need to be given every tool possible to protect not only themselves but us as well.

(n.d.).
Retrieved from www.opticsplanet.com/thermal-imagingvs-night-vision/html
Barnes, P. (2010). HDS Benefits Crime Scene Investigations . Retrieved from goarticles.com/article/High-Defintion-Surveying-Benefits-Crime-Scene-Investigations/2645044
Harvey, B. (2006). Top Ten Uses for Thermal Imaging in Law Enforcement. Retrieved from http://www.bullard.com/V3/products/thermal_imaging/law_enforcement/training/articles/0002.php
Siegel, L., & Worrall, J. (2010). Introduction to Criminal Justice . Belmont : Wadsworth.
Spraggs, D. (2004). The Next Dimension: Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators are Using 3D Technology to Bring Crime Scenes to Life. Retrieved from
www.policeone.com/police-products/crime-scene-investigation/articles/94507