Emerging Technologies
Law Enforcement II
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Agency Considerations
• Financial challenges
– Budget of the agency
– Cost savings
– Service and maintenance costs of technology
– National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center (NLECTC) Technology
Decision Tool – to help an agency assess the cost
benefit of its technology
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Agency Considerations (continued)
• Training
– Little/no training vs. extensive training
– Size of the agency
• Operational needs
– Geographical area that the agency serves
– Demographics of the area that the agency serves
– Increased efficiency and effectiveness
– Expected outcome of the technology’s use
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Agency Considerations (continued)
• Necessity vs. Luxury
– Will the technology improve the agency’s basic
services?
– Does the technology improve the response time?
– Does the technology provide more information to
the officer when needed?
– Will the use of the technology increase the
confidence of the public?
– Will the use of the technology increase officer
safety and efficiency?
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Some Currently Used
Technologies: Prevention
• Radios
– Wireless and digital capabilities
– Ability to share information in seconds (i.e.
pictures, records, fingerprints, video footage)
– Ability to share in secure, real-time mode
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Some Currently Used
Technologies: Prevention (continued)
• Mobile Computer Systems within a Patrol Unit
– Computerized records check
– Dispatch information
– Report-writing from the field
• Reduces the amount of paperwork
• Improves an officer’s availability
– Graphical Information Systems (GIS) – mapping
technology
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Some Currently Used
Technologies: Prevention (continued)
• Audio/Video Cameras
– In-car cameras
– Photo enforcement system
• At traffic lights
• Monitor speeding and red-light violations
– Graffiti Cameras
• Talking surveillance – warns the person of illegal behavior,
such as graffiti spraying, illegal dumping, or loitering
• Warns the person that a picture, through video, is being
captured
• Is wireless and solar-powered for easy movability of camera
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Some Currently Used
Technologies: Investigation
• Crime Lights
– Differing preset light wavelengths that detect hair,
fibers, and body fluids
– Time efficient – speeds up time it takes to process
a crime scene
• Criminal Investigations Record Systems
– Software matches suspects to particular crimes
– Matches occur through the use of aliases, partial
names, physical descriptions, or vehicle
descriptions
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Some Currently Used
Technologies: Investigation (continued)
• Thermal Imaging
– Produces images of radiated or reflected surface
energy
– Assists in finding fleeing fugitives, missing
children, or missing elderly persons
– Takes less time for locating
– Easy use, storage, and maintenance
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Some Currently Used
Technologies: Protection
• In-car camera – increases officer accountability
and protects officers falsely accused of
unprofessional behavior
• License Plate Tag Readers – automatically
recognizes license plates to locate stolen vehicles
• Global Positioning System (GPS) – track the
location of police units
• Robots – to defuse bombs or to take real-time
video in high-risk areas
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Some Currently Used
Technologies: Protection (continued)
• Weapons
– Non-lethal
• Stun gun – emits volts of electricity affecting the major
motor muscles; suspects are disarmed and incapacitated
with little to no physical side effects
• Beanbag gun
– Lethal
• Service handgun
• Shotgun
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Some Currently Used
Technologies: Prosecution
• Diagramming Systems – produces high-quality
digital diagrams that can be used in court
• In-car Camera System – captures evidence that
can be used as a silent witness (i.e. traffic
stops, DWI’s)
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Some Newly Developed
Technologies in Use: Prevention
• Cell phone applications
– Can look up a suspect’s records from a phone
– Can locate persons of interest, which can lead to
arrests
– Has field-reporting capabilities
– Uses nationwide data transfer networks
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Some Newly Developed
Technologies in Use: Prevention
(continued)
• Automobile pursuit systems
– Deploys GPS tag to track fleeing suspect vehicle
– Launches from the grille of the patrol vehicle
– Challenges
• Ineffective adhesive on tag
• Operator error
• Distance/terrain-related misses
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Some Newly Developed
Technologies in Use: Investigation
• Central database software – multi-agency
sharing of information
• Side scan sonar for water searches
– Locates drowning victims
– More time efficient
– Challenge: cannot detect smaller objects
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Some Newly Developed
Technologies in Use: Investigation
(continued)
• Forensic comparison examinations
– High-resolution cameras and light sources to
improve results
– Documents comparison process
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Some Newly Developed
Technologies in Use: Investigation
(continued)
• Aviation technology
–
–
–
–
Low cost (as opposed to helicopters)
Safe alternative
Light supporting aircraft
Unmanned aircraft systems
•
•
•
•
•
Operated via remote control
Small systems – 5 pounds or less
Flies to altitudes of 500-1500 feet
Easy to fly
Camera mounted to search for missing children/elderly
and/or suspects
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Some Newly Developed
Technologies in Use: Investigation
(continued)
• Social media
– Search engines
• To look up individuals, phone numbers (cell and
landlines), and addresses
• To upload images to search for likenesses
• To look up names of neighbors
– Microblogs
• One-way feed of information
• Limited number of characters
• Online journals/diaries
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Some Newly Developed
Technologies in Use: Protection
• Body-Worn Cameras
– Reduces agency liability and citizen complaints
– Provides departmental transparency to citizens
– Very mobile and easy to attach
– Can integrate with in-car video systems
– Less expensive option for agencies without in-car
video systems
– Challenge: battery life
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Some Newly Developed
Technologies in Use: Protection
(continued)
• Automobile pursuit systems
– Avoids dangerous pursuits
– Increases officer and public safety
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Some Newly Developed
Technologies in Use: Prosecution
• Social Media
– Use as evidence
– Challenge: Courts divided on reasonable
expectation of privacy
• Forensic Comparison Examinations
– Meets the criteria of the Daubert standard in court
• Body-Worn Cameras
– Provides evidence in court
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Some Developing
Technologies: Prevention
• Facial-recognition software
– Compares images with previously arrested or
convicted persons
– Merged with driver’s license and identification
systems
• Enhanced GIS capabilities
– Crime analysis regarding previous activity or time
periods to predict future activity
– Tracking vehicles and personnel
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Some Developing
Technologies: Prevention (continued)
• Aviation technology
– Unmanned drones
•
•
•
•
•
•
Border protection
Drug enforcement agencies
Surveillance
Missions conducted without harm to humans
High-quality images/videos
Track targets
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Some Developing
Technologies: Prevention (continued)
• Vehicle camera systems and body-worn
cameras
– Automatic license plate recognition
– Facial-recognition software
– Voice analysis system
– Follow suspects’ movements
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Some Developing
Technologies: Investigation
• Facial-recognition systems
• Databases
– Shoeprint database
– Forensic mapping database
– Acoustic gunshot detection database
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Some Developing
Technologies: Investigation (continued)
• Fingerprint technology
– Contactless fingerprinting
– Scans fingerprints with no pressure
– Does not required trained operators
– Faster to produce
– Natural state of the fingerprint, thus eliminating
inconsistencies in collection
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Some Developing
Technologies: Protection
• Enhanced 911 services (Next Generation 911)
– Public’s ability to send texts, pictures, and/or video
through the 911 system
– Will decrease response time
– Will increase productivity
• Enhanced satellite images software – overlays
onto satellite images of criminals’ residences
and high-risk areas
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Some Developing
Technologies: Protection (continued)
• Meta-material cloaking
– Holographic discs that camouflage into the
environment
– Developing shape-changing liquids
• Metabolic supplements
– Oral consumption or injections
– Tailors to specific needs (i.e. eating, rest, energy,
endurance) of officer
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Some Developing
Technologies: Protection (continued)
• Weapons
– Lethal
• Personalization of handgun whereby only authorized
user can fire
• Combination weapons with high capacity, stacked
ammunition; programmable, rapid, and quickly
reloadable ammunition (i.e. 24,000 grenade rounds per
minute launched via internet connection)
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Some Developing
Technologies: Protection (continued)
• Weapons
– Non-lethal – used for riot control and defense of
high-risk areas
• Sound waves – projection of high decibel sound waves
causing persons to move
• Smells – significant odors that induce vomiting,
inability to focus, and dulling of other senses; produces
a desire to move from the area
• Light – high-intensity focus that creates confusion
• Heat – microwaves sent to heat up the targeted areas;
painful and uncomfortable; incapacitates target
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Some Developing
Technologies: Protection (continued)
• Body Armor
– Material not only protects from bullet and knife
penetration, but also protects from blunt trauma
force
– Production of lightweight body armor with layers
of ballistic material and ceramic composites,
which gives three times the protection
– Power assisted/hydraulic suit of armor – senses the
direction of movement; prevents muscle strain;
enhances strength, speed, and endurance
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Some Developing
Technologies: Protection (continued)
• Wearable computer with an optical headmounted display
– Records and analyzes everything seen by the
officer
– Has a built-in screen equipped with information
about area and facial recognition system
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Some Developing
Technologies: Prosecution
• Fingerprint technology
– Higher-quality images
– No need for expert witness testimony verifying
suspect’s print
• Enhanced 911 services
– Additional real-time evidence accumulation
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Continuing Education
• Laws change
– Every two years the state legislature makes new
laws and changes old ones
– It is important for officers to stay current on these
new laws because they impact the way that an
officer does his or her job
– Failure to stay current on new laws through
continuing education could result in violations of
civil rights, criminal penalties, or job loss
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Continuing Education (continued)
• Well-rounded
– Officers who attend continuing education (in-service)
training are better qualified to do their jobs
– Maintaining a student’s perspective helps officers to
better relate to those they serve
– Officers stay current on new trends and methods for
investigating and performing their job duties, leaving
less for the investigators to do after the report has been
taken
– Being better educated reflects in court, as well as in
everything an officer does
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Continuing Education (continued)
• Higher pay
– Many departments have higher pay scales for officers with
a college education, or intermediate, advanced, or master
level Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) certifications
• Promotion
– Most departments require a certain education or
certification level in order to promote to higher ranks
within the department
• Keep current
– Continuing education keeps officers up-to-date on
emerging technologies
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Resources
• Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education
(TCLEOSE)
• http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?article_id=1527
&fuseaction=display&issue_id=62008
• http://www.nena.org/?NG911_Project
• http://www.its.dot.gov/ng911/
• https://www.justnet.org/
• https://www.justnet.org/pdf/SharingResources_508.pdf
• https://www.justnet.org/pdf/Technology-Decision-Tool.pdf
• https://www.justnet.org/school_safety.html
• Do an Internet search for the following:
– Listverse top 10 future law enforcement technologies
– Top Law Enforcement Officials to Convene Over Latest in Police Technology
– Emerging technologies in law enforcement: their impact on officer response
and efficiency
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