NCJ Number
173339
Journal
Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 8 Issue: 2-3 Dated: 1997 Pages: 295-307
Date Published
1997
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This paper explores the legal and ethical issues raised by the possible police use of a new technology, the Millivision Imager (MI), which could be mounted on a police vehicle to enable an officer to scan a group of people for hidden weapons and drugs without leaving the vehicle.
Abstract
The MI has the capability to differentiate among most types of building material. This allows its operator to generate images of objects within buildings. MI operators would have the ability to observe individuals and objects in a room without actually entering it. This would undoubtedly increase officer safety, but at what cost to the privacy of individuals. Although the use of the MI in prisons and airports may be worthwhile and ethically responsible, its use in general police contact with the public raises some ethical concerns. Knowing that the MI exists and may be used by police, employers, or private individuals would cause people to alter their choices and behavior, thus restricting their sense of freedom and privacy. Further, the surveillance can occur without the knowledge or consent of the persons being observed. Although the MI can be a positive means of lessening the harm of guns and drugs, this must be weighed against the intrusion into privacy and the dignity of individuals. It could also heighten mistrust between citizens and the institutions that use the MI. U.S. Supreme Court decisions have increasingly supported police strategies that have resulted in a decline in individual rights. Instead of proceeding further in this direction with new surveillance technologies, there should be an effort to implement strategies of social control that do not involve a further erosion of citizen privacy. A 20-item bibliography