NCJ Number
203176
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 30 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2003 Pages: 18,20,22,23
Date Published
2003
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article presents interviews with law enforcement experts around the country concerning the ever-changing challenges of law enforcement.
Abstract
A question and answer format presents the viewpoints of law enforcement officers from all levels of policing and from police departments around the country. Questions include such issues as the biggest challenge facing law enforcement today; homeland security; the future of technology to aid law enforcement; needed changes for law enforcement; and conjecture about the next 5 years of law enforcement. Police personnel from around the country identified communication, limited budgets, homeland security, and technology as the biggest challenges facing law enforcement today. More specifically, many of the respondents were concerned with sharing information with other agencies in such a way as to quickly and efficiently utilize that information. Homeland security issues were also identified as affecting every police department in the country, whether directly or indirectly. Investing in infrastructure and technology was identified as important for the future effectiveness of law enforcement, as was investing in the police officers themselves and in their relationships with the communities in which they live and work. Five years from now many of the respondents predict that technological advancements will be helping police officers solve and prevent crime at an unprecedented level.