Today's police have an advantage over their counterparts of the 60's and 70's with the help of the invention of the computer, new processes, and new calculations being processed. Information stored in some form of database such as business code violations, burglaries, citations, demographics of age of residences, housing appraisals, utilities usage and many others aspects are used to create an educated guess on where police should focus their efforts on deterring crime. When predictive information is used appropriately this can bring about a great change to law enforcement such as was seen in Santa Cruz Police department that used the data to arrest five criminals. However, the adage of “Garbage in Garbage out” comes into play. Typically, a human handles all data entered into a database and there are always clerical mistakes with data entry.
Law enforcement has had to change to keep up with the never ending array of new technology. The trends in the criminal justice system are constantly changing and evolving. The past, present, and future trends in criminal justice will
501). Not only is technology changing but trends are changing as well, and they are affecting policing in a major way. Looking ahead, there are some foreseeable critical issues that may have an effect on policing in the future. Lastly, with all of the changes taking place, changes will need to be made to effectively address those critical issues. What Trends are Currently Affecting Policing?
Technology is found in every aspect of human life. Technology has become a productive ally in assisting police in fighting crime. CompStat, short for “Computer Comparison Statistics,” was created in the 90’s, it is an information system used to offer assistance in managing police operations. CompStat and CompStat-like technology makes use of databases and GIS technology to record and track criminal and police activity. Data is analyzed to identify areas lagging or needing more attention.
The best-known biometric identification method is fingerprinting. Other methods are based on facial, iris, voice, handwriting, and signature recognition. Fast and accurate identification enhances officer safety, detects criminals, secures facilities and information systems The research, development, testing,
Technology and system changes Leshea Hicks Professor Stephanie Palmer-Phillips CRJ499 February 17, 2012 Technology has grown in the criminal justice system. Law enforcement added new systems to help track and apprehend suspects and wanted criminals. For example, some patrol cars have a fingerprinting devices, this device is used to run a persons prints through a nationwide database. This has led to apprehending illegal immigrants, individuals with warrants, and numerous criminal offenses. I want to discuss how technology has led to increased violence in our prison system and how we can implement current technology to control prison violence.
(Taylor & Taylor, 2011, p. 312) 3. Virtual crimes against persons will increase at a faster rate compared with past years as a result of the significant expansion in networking, personal computing, and social networking sites. These hybrid crimes, which have coercive characteristics similar to those found in psychological warfare, will require new laws expressly to address the problem and new methodologies for investigation, prevention, and education. (Taylor & Taylor, 2011, p. 314) 4. Computer hacker groups will emerge in developing
Investigative notes are a permanent written record of the facts of a case to be used in further investigation, in writing reports and in prosecuting the case (Hess, 2010). Taking notes is no stranger to police officers at a crime scene; many officers find this strategy to be very helpful determining the guilt or innocence of an individual. Gathering notes from witnesses as soon as possible after receiving a call to respond and continue recording information as it is received throughout the investigation, “witnesses are important sources of information regarding crimes committed in their community” (Hess, 2010). Note taking is supposed to benefit the investigation, but how information is obtained—whether the officers establish good rapport or not—can greatly influence investigative success. When taking notes officers must learn to keep it short and abbreviated, and at the same time understandable for not only you to read, but if you become ill, injured or deceased, others must be able to read and understand your notes.
The restructuring of this department is seemingly centered around information technologies, which is exactly the right direction in which to be heading. The advanced technology being utilized by the department is absolutely crucial in combating crime. Although some types of crime remain the same (a robbery is a robbery and a murder is a murder) some are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and only by keeping one step ahead can the department expect to maintain control. The new plans for GIS and crime mapping are working to reduce crime and increase police productivity. The statistics back the department up.
It highlights differences between the behaviours of criminals and consistencies within the behaviour of individual offenders. Ainsworth also points out that the US ‘crime scene analysis’ has been very influential as it has been successfully used in other countries e.g. Canada and the Netherlands. It helps the police predict the level of violence and the timing of future crimes. Douglas (1981) conducted a review for the FBI on the costs and benefits of profiling.