NCJ Number
160726
Date Published
1995
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Technology will continue to play an important role in the future of policing, and the role of technology is essentially viewed as a social process in which economic, sociological, psychological, political, juridical and technological developments interact.
Abstract
Apart from the military, the police organization is probably the government agency most affected by technology, and the relationship between police and technology is a specific and socially significant one. Technology has become a particularly crucial aspect of police information processing. From a social science perspective, technology empowers police to recognize, ask, know, act, and prevent. Inherent problems exist, however, in applying technology to police work that primarily involve lack of differentiation. The following technology applications are briefly described: artificial intelligence support of criminal investigations, DNA fingerprinting, electronic borders, machine- readable identity cards, automatic vehicle identification, satellite tracking, and electronic monitoring of offenders. A typology of police technology is presented, and driving forces behind and obstacles to the use of advanced technology are noted. 33 references, 19 notes, and 1 table