The role of technology in police operations is becoming more important as it allows law enforcement agencies to perform their duties faster and with less effort. The rise of technology in policing, including crime analysis and crime mapping, finger-printing, and computers in squad cars, shows that law enforcement is more focused on proactive justice.
Nunn (2001) states that law enforcement agencies use modern technology because "the use information technologies to create fragmented database collections across sectors and space means law enforcement authorities must establish portals that are able to assemble and collect decentralized data files". With the "increasing demand for cross-jurisdictional cooperation and information-sharing", they see it as an inevitable "requirement for tapping into decentralized databases and allowing agencies to share crime data". Technology can also be used to "counter messages and warnings about technological sophistication of criminal organizations" and "to protect society against individuals who practice such violence." (Nunn 2001). Modern crimes are becoming more sophisticated because of technology. The police must be ready to "make clever use" of technologies to enhance criminal lives and find new victims.
The use of technology for crime mapping is one of the newest trends in law enforcement. According to Fortner (1998), p. 16, crime mapping is a system that allows large quantities of crime data to be analyzed and made available to police. Crime mapping is gaining popularity, much like the rise of laptops and cellular phones. Since the 1990s, software has become more popular in state and local police departments. This is because they are looking to improve their decision-making processes (Henry 2002). The development of sophisticated data warehousing systems, crime mapping techniques, as well as technological innovations have led to the transformation of police agencies to become analytical organizations. Software applications that are affordable and flexible have enabled law enforcement agencies to create maps and reports to assist in the identification and subsequent implementation of police responses.
Many government agencies have adopted the Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which has been modernized. This is because more and more police departments can easily create their own crime maps by investing in new software and hardware. Mapping can also allow for the analysis of other variables that could affect crime. Crime Mapping News highlighted key points when it comes to implementing a GIS program for law enforcement.
Monmonier (1996) also warned that "a single map is just one of an infinitely many number of maps that might have been produced for the same situation, or using the same data" (p. Law enforcers need to have many choices in map-making, as this will impact how data is interpreted. The map is only two-dimensional representations of complex worlds. It is important to think carefully before making any decisions about what should be displayed.
GPS has many functions beyond the ability to build crime maps. Location monitoring and computer monitoring are essential functions of GPS. An ankle bracelet connected to a telephone is required for electronic monitoring of a subject's location. New York City authorities made electronic bracelets for domestic violence offenders that could alert authorities by telephone if they entered 500 feet from the homes of victims. GPS monitoring devices, which use satellites to locate tracking devices worn by individuals, have been added to these systems. GPS provides an operational link between federal defense systems and domestic police. Original launch of the 24 NAVSTAR GPS satellites by the DOD was to assist targeting and navigation, and to supplement a support system that monitors nuclear explosions around the world (Richelson 1995). Between five and eight GPS satellites can be "visible" from any location on Earth at any given time.
GPS monitoring can also be used to track stolen cars, locate police cruisers and monitor movements of individuals under house arrest. Another system captures patterns of electromagnetic waves from the terminal to spy on computer monitors. Digital Interception by Remote Transmission is a similar monitoring system. It targets computers via an e mail Trojan horse to intercept keystrokes, logs of online activity and other information. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation uses GPS monitoring to locate the vehicles of suspected burglars. They are similar to wiretapping or traditional eavesdropping, but the main focus is on the location.
Another use of GPS is being used more frequently is to track the location of parolees or probationers to see if they are within a defined area. In nine states, the DOD ComTrak monitoring device is used to track around 100 people. Spokane's sheriff used GPS sensors to track a child murderer. He also collected GPS surveillance data from two grave sites. This evidence was later used to convict him. ProTech Monitoring and Advanced Business Sciences have created wristbands and bracelets that can track the location of an individual within 168 feet. The technology is called Satellite Monitoring and Remote Tracking System, and it is marketed by Ameritech (Nunn 2001).
It is likely that the current interest in information technology (I.T.), can be seen in this instance. This has led to increased interest in crime intelligence and crime mapping within large urban police departments. Many of these police departments already have geo-coded dispatching records. Software (most commonly ERSI, ArcView or MapInfo) converts geo-coded locations or addresses (one set) into maps and tables that can then be printed. These signs are displayed on maps (tables or graphs or other figures) that show the location of a particular city or area. The theory is that a large range of information could be included such as fire hazards, demographic characteristics and indices of disorder or quality of life offenses. Other data can also include conventional police-generated data regarding juveniles, adult criminality, and traffic. Some departments have added a range of data, including addresses where restraining order violations are enforced, addresses for sex offenders and gang members, and demographics of the social areas within the city. You can map variations in density, types of crime, days of the week, and offenders' residences, and also determine patterns of co-offending (Bottoms & Wiles 1997). Software can represent anything that can spatially be plotted.
Manning (2001), however, warned that software used to create crime maps could cause problems. Manning (2001) asked, "What infrastructure (socially, electrical, and support staff) is there to transform the mapping data to make it useful to investigators and supervisors and patrol officers?" Western's officers were not interested in mapping because they lack supervision and evaluation. Manning (2001), mentioned ethnographic research as another source of resistance or acceptance by police of I.T. It is determined by the time and method of introduction of I.T., officers rank, specialized function and the level of information that the officer has access to and must use. This also takes into account local policing traditions and practices. These variables influence the perceived utility of any given "tool", e.g. mobile digital terminals (MDT), computerised database, crime mapping, or other analytic tools. But, prompt responses to queries, access databases, and quick processing of data in preformatted files are welcome. Police departments are often overworked and unable to maintain complex electronic infrastructure.
Manning (2001) also questioned the unification of the physical and spatial issues in relation to the distribution and use of crime-mapping information. Is the information and terminal centralised or decentralized? Who has access and training? Are the data's available online or offline? The crime mapping function is often located in the headquarters of the planning unit. Staff have irregular face-to–face contact with police officers or detectives. In order to create a community-accessible website, links are being made to external agencies. Although crime trends, maps, and distributions by area and time of crime can be produced at each precinct over a period of one year, the maps are only used when they are needed. They are not intended to be used as a tactical representation of distributions or incidents that can be suppressed using crime attack tactics. The system is not used by investigators. They also do not routinely input data into it. Detectives are primarily focused on solving cases and do not have access to patterns or trends. For example, there may be a string of housebreakings in one neighborhood that hasn't been solved for a few weeks. What is the access to data and output (maps and tables, figures, graphs, etc.)? The Western system is by design decentralized. This can be seen as a problem.
The biggest problem with these crime maps is their interpretation. As we all know, crime maps can be multi-referential. The signs on crime maps can represent many things. Signs can be read, seen and interpreted. Signs cannot speak for themselves, they must communicate metaphorically to others. Technical problems can also arise regarding the meanings of "blocks", "block faces", and clusters of addresses. These include incorrect spellings or recording of the names of several types of disorder. High-rise apartments might have multiple complaints and calls at the same street address.
The map's scale can affect the size of a cluster. It is easy to make small incidents seem important or insignificant by making a lot of them appear large. While the database is essential, some departments use calls for service while others use reports of crimes or crimes that are known to police to map issues of concern. Manning (2001), recommended that maps and the data "behind" them be more than just a collection of icons or electronic pin maps to have a wider use. While crime maps and other analytic models are often fascinating, provocative, and colorful, they have no inherent actionable meaning. It may take a thousand words just to describe a picture. Maps combine a variety of information to explain many aspects of social organisation. They often use complex linkages and dramatic sizes.
We cannot, however, say that technology can completely drive policing. The organization's core activities, which consume most of the energy, time, and wages, are still human activities. Information is just a little bit that can make a difference. However, this information must be understood within the context of matters related to policing patterns or shape information. Officers gather primary data. Officers gather primary data. This includes a tacit understanding what is important, the formatting effect of online menus or forms used; and a range of spatial and social facts that may be relevant to analytic problems-solving exercises. It is important to consider the channel through which messages are sent. Face-to-face communication in police work is the most trustworthy. These primary data are then processed into information and used to mediated. Any mediated communication can be deemed suspect in policing. This is a job that assesses trustworthiness. As a rule of thumb, the more distant and abstract the officer's experience is, the less trustworthy it will be. It is important to determine the type, quantity, and use of the information. The software defines the classifications and the classificatory systems into which the information will go. It is also problematic to link this software and other databases.
Many technological advances can help police operations. The way that urban spaces are perceived and used by citizens is changing with the help of police technologies. These technologies are being used by law enforcement agencies to improve their ability to identify and track criminal suspects. This shows that technology is a tool but not a substitute for human knowledge.
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