introduction to police technology

Copyright 2005 - 2009: Hi Tech Criminal Justice, Raymond E. Foster

Police TechnologyPolice TechnologyChapter OneChapter One

Introduction to Introduction to

Police TechnologyPolice Technology


Learning Objectives Learning Objectives

tactical and strategic informationtactical and strategic information What technology is meant in What technology is meant in

conjunction and why technology in conjunction and why technology in law enforcement should be law enforcement should be explored.explored.

efficiency and effectiveness.efficiency and effectiveness. Community PolicingCommunity Policing. . Situational crime prevention. Situational crime prevention. Fragmentation.Fragmentation.


Ask yourself …Ask yourself …

How does the line-How does the line-employee (whether employee (whether sworn or non-sworn or non-sworn) view his or sworn) view his or her technology?her technology?

What are the What are the issues for the issues for the supervisor or supervisor or manager? manager?


Multiple Points of ViewMultiple Points of View

Line employeeLine employee SupervisorSupervisor Police managerPolice manager

End User

Oversight

Decision maker


View technology against View technology against the backdrop ofthe backdrop of . . . . . .

Efficiency/effectiveness Efficiency/effectiveness Community policing Community policing Situational crime prevention Situational crime prevention Fragmentation Fragmentation


Technology in the Technology in the 21st century is not 21st century is not defined by what it defined by what it is or what is does, is or what is does, but more by how but more by how it is used. It is in it is used. It is in the the context of usecontext of use that technology is that technology is defined. defined.

What is technology?

Photograph provided by Robert Eplett, California Photograph provided by Robert Eplett, California Governor’s Office of Emergency ServicesGovernor’s Office of Emergency Services


Why Examine Information Why Examine Information Technology?Technology?

Most work done by police Most work done by police employees involves information. employees involves information. When a police officer is:When a police officer is:

interviewinginterviewing a victim or witness, a victim or witness, interrogatinginterrogating a suspect, or a suspect, or cultivatingcultivating an informant an informant

- - - he or she is gathering - - - he or she is gathering informationinformation


An education about law enforcement IT An education about law enforcement IT can:can:

Improve the chances for successful Improve the chances for successful use and implementation; use and implementation;

Enhance the prosecution of Enhance the prosecution of offenders; offenders;

Allow supervisors or managers to Allow supervisors or managers to lead, train, and supervise; and, lead, train, and supervise; and,

Increase success and satisfaction Increase success and satisfaction with technology as end-user and with technology as end-user and decision-maker increase. decision-maker increase.


Reliance on Reliance on information from information from official sources official sources resulted in . . . resulted in . . .

Reduced public Reduced public contact, and may contact, and may have reduced have reduced public confidencepublic confidence


Tactical InformationTactical Information Devices that can be Devices that can be

used in the field for used in the field for immediate decision immediate decision making will be making will be referred to as referred to as tactical tactical informationinformation technologies. technologies.

Decisions that police Decisions that police officers make in the officers make in the field, those required field, those required to be immediate, can to be immediate, can be thought of as be thought of as tactical decisions. tactical decisions.


Strategic InformationStrategic Information Strategic Strategic

informationinformation can be can be thought of as thought of as information used in information used in planning, such as in planning, such as in crime analysis. crime analysis.

Information is used Information is used strategicallystrategically by by police officers and police officers and detectives, and by detectives, and by police managers in police managers in other ways. other ways.

Photographs provided by OBS INC., Specialty Vehicles


Strategic InformationStrategic Information

For detectives, For detectives, information information (statements, (statements, evidence, and evidence, and their observations) their observations) is organized and is organized and analyzed in order analyzed in order to determine what to determine what happened and who happened and who did it. did it.

Police managers Police managers look as issues like look as issues like deployment, deployment, scheduling, scheduling, training, and risk training, and risk management.management.


EfficiencyEfficiency and Effectiveness and Effectiveness

EfficiencyEfficiency is defined as doing is defined as doing something cheaper; or, the something cheaper; or, the ability to complete an activity ability to complete an activity using fewer inputs. using fewer inputs.

Typically, informationTypically, informationtechnology istechnology isevaluated byevaluated by

comparing costscomparing costsagainst benefitsagainst benefits


The real goal of The real goal of effectivenesseffectiveness is the is the

attainment of some goal. Therefore, attainment of some goal. Therefore,

an organization can be effective butan organization can be effective but

not efficient and vice versa. not efficient and vice versa.

Efficiency and Efficiency and EffectivenessEffectiveness

Does the technology impact efficiency?

Does this technology impact effectiveness?


Estimating benefits is much Estimating benefits is much harder in law enforcement harder in law enforcement because the benefits are because the benefits are intangible or difficult to intangible or difficult to quantify.quantify.

Efficiency and EffectivenessEfficiency and Effectiveness


Efficiency and EffectivenessEfficiency and Effectiveness

How much How much crime is crime is there?there?

Crime is often unreported:

•Victim doesn’t report – burglary from motor vehicle

•Stigma

•Victim doesn’t know


Community PolicingCommunity Policing Although there are a number of Although there are a number of

different definitions, there are four different definitions, there are four fairly common themes:fairly common themes: Partnership with the communityPartnership with the community DecentralizationDecentralization Organization-wide implementationOrganization-wide implementation Problem solvingProblem solving


Community PolicingCommunity Policing((Partnership with the community)Partnership with the community)

The police cannot The police cannot solve all solve all community community problems – problems – partnerships with partnerships with other agencies and other agencies and the community are the community are requiredrequired

Police officers and Police officers and other personnel other personnel should be assigned should be assigned to specific to specific geographic geographic boundaries. boundaries.


Community PolicingCommunity Policing((Decentralization)Decentralization)

Decision making Decision making and accountability and accountability must be must be decentralized, decentralized, allowing allowing employees at all employees at all levels to make levels to make decisions within decisions within their areas of their areas of responsibilityresponsibility

Photograph provided by Cross Match

Technologies, Inc.


Community PolicingCommunity Policing((Organization-wide implementation)Organization-wide implementation)

Patrol officers, detectives, Patrol officers, detectives, supervisors, members of specialized supervisors, members of specialized units and police managers must be units and police managers must be committed to committed to community policingcommunity policing..


Community PolicingCommunity Policing(Problem Solving)(Problem Solving)

Problem solving is the use of Problem solving is the use of the the scientificscientific methodmethod (observe, (observe, hypothesize, experiment, hypothesize, experiment, conclude) as a means to conclude) as a means to remedy or mitigate community remedy or mitigate community problems. problems.

For police officers, the For police officers, the scientific method is often scientific method is often restated as the problem restated as the problem solving model solving model SARA (Scan, SARA (Scan, Analyze, Respond, and Analyze, Respond, and Assess).Assess).


Problem SolvingProblem Solving It is ultimately more It is ultimately more efficientefficient and and

effectiveeffective to fix a problem than the to fix a problem than the alternative of repeatedly responding to alternative of repeatedly responding to the symptoms of a problem – calls for the symptoms of a problem – calls for service. service.

Problem solving efforts are very likely to Problem solving efforts are very likely to create new partnerships and bonds create new partnerships and bonds between the community, the police and between the community, the police and other service providers. other service providers.


Crime prevention Crime prevention targets the targets the rootroot

causes of crime and disorder in causes of crime and disorder in twotwo

ways: ways: EducationEducation; and, ; and, Problem solvingProblem solving. .

Problem SolvingProblem Solving


Situational Crime PreventionSituational Crime Prevention

There are three parts to situational There are three parts to situational crimecrime

prevention: prevention:

Targeting specific forms of crime Targeting specific forms of crime Changing the environment.Changing the environment. Increasing offender risk Increasing offender risk


Community PolicingCommunity PolicingIn the definition of In the definition of

community policingcommunity policing

published by thepublished by the

Department of JusticeDepartment of Justice

(DOJ), Technology is(DOJ), Technology is

viewed as anviewed as an

““enhancer” ofenhancer” of

community policing.community policing.


Fragmentation Fragmentation

Many adjoining and Many adjoining and overlapping law overlapping law enforcement enforcement jurisdictions cannot jurisdictions cannot communicate on communicate on the radio or readily the radio or readily exchange data. exchange data.


FragmentationFragmentation

Criminal justice is Criminal justice is intentionally intentionally fragmented in order to fragmented in order to maintain the checks maintain the checks and balances essential and balances essential to our democracy. to our democracy.

This fragmentation This fragmentation also serves to protect also serves to protect the privacy of the privacy of incriminating incriminating information about the information about the people who come in people who come in contact with the contact with the criminal justice criminal justice system. system.



Interoperability Interoperability or theor the

ability for different ability for different agencies agencies

to communicate via to communicate via

technology is often technology is often caused caused

by the by the fragmentationfragmentation. .

Photograph provided by Robert Eplett, California Governor’s Office of Photograph provided by Robert Eplett, California Governor’s Office of Emergency ServicesEmergency Services

In later chaptersyou will see this is a device used

to increase interoperability



A thought………..Some people A thought………..Some people believe that criminal justice is believe that criminal justice is fragmented because of fragmented because of institutional paranoia; agencies institutional paranoia; agencies don’t want other agencies to don’t want other agencies to know what they know and know what they know and thereby be in a position to thereby be in a position to challenge their decisions. challenge their decisions.


Police TechnologyPolice Technology

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introduction to police technology

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