Law Enforcement and Technology
The Law Enforcement Association is a very crucial part of our society. They maintain law and order in our society by safeguarding the members of the public and their possessions, effectively preventing crime, and reducing the people’s fear of crime (Brodeur et al., 2021). This in itself improves the lives of all individuals. As a result of the practices and technology in law enforcement, the aspect of crime analysis is established. This encompasses the use of various police knowledge and data to combat and solve crimes. In the context of this question of technology in law enforcement, we can define technology as the use of science to find a solution to problems or to invent useful things in the fields of industry and engineering just to name a few. Technology is therefore a way that science has assisted the law enforcement association to solve crimes and be more efficient. Technology is, therefore, a vital tool in assisting the police to efficiently fight crime and to be of better service. To understand the magnitude of the role technology plays, the aim of this paper is to go back in time and to see how law enforcement operated before the onset of technology. Finally, after understanding the chronological order of events in the operations of the police force, we will be able to appreciate how technology has transformed law enforcement.
Historical Background of Law Enforcement
The 1700s
Beginning in the 1700s, the police like in all societies did exist. They however did not have many of the advancements we see today but they did have something. They still had to communicate and be able to be identified in some sort of way. In these times, the police were identified as watchmen and contrary to today, they did not wear uniforms. One of the ways they used in the identification of a watchman was the lanterns that they carried with green inserts (Mason, 2015). When off duty, let us say when at home, these watchmen hung their green lanterns outside their homes so the people knew where to locate them when needed. These watchmen also carried with them a double reed wood rattle that was the initial representation of a whistle. The loud and distinct noise it could make allowed these representations of police to warn the townspeople of danger and to signal for help. The first watchmen who were paid for their services were the leatherheads who wore leather helmets.
With the growth of towns and urbanization came crimes such as mob violence, drunkenness, and prostitution and this necessitated the growth and evolution of the police. Once a systematic organization was formed, the police were required to wear uniforms and carry weapons. Initially, they carried clubs then after some time was allowed to carry revolvers. The police in this era had little or no way of keeping records, their methods of investigation were described as archaic, and prevention of crime was not a concept that had a chance. When compared to the current body of police today, they could be viewed as unintelligent and untrained.
The 1800s
In this period, the police were barely effective in the fight against crime their main aim being to uphold politicians. Technology in this period was not necessary mainly because to accomplish their tasks, brute force and intimidation were mostly used. The police used nightsticks in their administration and some were integrated with handcuffs. There were also call and alarm boxes that had telephones linked to the police departments and were a form of communication. In the event of a fire or a criminal incident, businessmen were given keys to the alarm boxes to call the police.
Transportation was also very challenging because we see that the patrols done by the police were conducted on foot. As a result of strikers and demonstrators, the police started conducting these patrols using horsebacks. The wagon system came into being in the mid to late 1800s and this allowed the police to arrest a large number of people. They could be easily arrested and transported all in one trip. In this era, the police could not act on and investigate crimes. The arrest of people was usually the last resort with many of the police residing with Curbside justice that was initially seen as easier and more effective.
The 1900s
In this era, we now begin to see the gradual growth of investigative methods. It was done by detectives and was considered a clandestine activity. They depended on other criminals for information and were undercover hence did not wear police uniforms. The initial identification system was photography but it proved to be limiting because criminals could alter their appearances and they also needed a photograph of the criminal. Later the Bertillonage system of identification was used but it later proved to be cumbersome, error-prone and its capabilities were very limiting.
The most common way of solving crimes was in rounding up all usual suspects and only releasing them once proven innocent. Another common form of the investigation was the third degree whereby a suspect was interrogated through torturing, for example, drilling teeth or beatings with blackjacks and batons. This however was ruled out as a legal means of extracting confessions in 1936 by the supreme court (Brandal, 2017).
Importance of Technology
Today we see a significant change in the law enforcement sector all thanks to new technologies, new techniques, and fresh ideas. The agencies that are across the country today are driving this change by innovating new creative ideas, adapting to these contexts, and incorporating concepts from officers and other community partners. There are basic technologies such as patrol cars, mobile phones, radios, and fingerprint technology that have played an important role in the growth and innovation of other complex technologies.
Collecting facts during an investigation has become easier as a result of new technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart sensors. Smart sensors can accomplish a variety of tasks all of which are a great advantage, for example, logging locations, flagging license plates, scanning databases, listening for gunshots, and virtual patrols. All these increase the awareness of the police. Being at the right place at the right time is not such a hard task anymore.
Other technologies include 5G communication, augmented reality, and electronics miniaturization all of which allow the police to see, hear and act in more efficient and effective ways (Mirkow & Gelles, n.d.). Artificial intelligence is the future of law enforcement, an aspect that will help police officers sift to volumes and volumes of collected data to find relevant information in a short period.
Technology is therefore not only important but a crucial necessity in the law enforcement sector (Fritsvold, n.d.). Understanding the history of technology in law enforcement is a way of enlightening us to better appreciate the vast changes that have been brought forth and to help us realize that technology is ever-evolving. It can be easily seen that nothing is impossible in this day and age giving room for better possibilities and solutions to grow. With an increase in the complexities of crime, the police force should be better equipped to counter any threats that may arise.
References
Mason, A. (2015). Continuity and change in the history of police technology: The case of contemporary crime analysis. Scholarworks.rit.edu. Retrieved 21 November 2021, from https://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9783&context=theses
Brandal, S. (2017). Criminal Investigation Edition 4. In.sagepub.com. Retrieved 21 November 2021, from https://in.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/80478_book_item_80478.pdf.
Fritsvold, E. 21st Century Law Enforcement Technology Presents Opportunities and Challenges. The University of San Diego. Retrieved 21 November 2021, from https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/law-enforcement-technology/.
Brodeur, J., Walsh, W., Kelling, G., Banton, M., & Whetstone, T. (2021). police | Definition, History, Organizations, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica.
Mirkow, A., & Gelles, M. Smart Policing: Top Five Policing Innovations Shaping the Future. Deloitte United States. Retrieved 21 November 2021, from https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/public-sector/articles/future-of-policing-and-law-enforcement-technology-innovations.html.
Leave a Reply