Technological Tools And Police Goals
Explore technological tools and police goals. You will examine the different ways to classify law enforcement technology and the police goals these tools support.
Prompt
In this module, you have learned about technological tools and innovations in law enforcement and the pros and cons of these tools. For this assignment, you will first select a classification of law enforcement technology from the list below and describe the innovations of that classification. Next, you will identify a specific tool that belongs in that classification and describe what it is and how it works. Then, you will identify which police goal your identified tool best supports and why.
Specifically, the following rubric criteria must be addressed:
Select a classification of law enforcement technology from the following list and describe the technical innovations of that classification.
Patrol
Investigations
Traffic
Special Operations
Command and Control
Administration
Identify a specific tool that belongs in that classification and describe what it is and how it works.
Identify which of the following seven police goals your tool best supports and why.
Reduce criminal victimization
Call offenders to account
Reduce fear and enhance personal security
Guarantee safety in public spaces
Use financial resources fairly, efficiently, and effectively
Use force and authority appropriately
Satisfy public demands and achieve legitimacy
Sample Solution
- Patrol: This includes tools that help police officers to patrol their beats, such as body-worn cameras, drones, and license plate readers.
- Investigations: This includes tools that help police officers to investigate crimes, such as DNA analysis, facial recognition software, and social media monitoring.
- Traffic: This includes tools that help police officers to enforce traffic laws, such as speed cameras, red light cameras, and automated license plate readers.
Full Answer Section
- Special operations: This includes tools that are used by specialized units, such as SWAT teams and bomb squads.
- Command and control: This includes tools that help police departments to coordinate their activities, such as computer-aided dispatch systems and 911 call centers.
- Administration: This includes tools that help police departments to manage their operations, such as records management systems and budgeting software.
- Body-worn cameras (BWCs): BWCs are cameras that are worn by police officers on their body. They record audio and video of the officer's interactions with the public. BWCs are used to document police encounters, to provide evidence in criminal cases, and to improve police accountability.
- BWCs can deter crime by making criminals aware that they are being recorded.
- BWCs can help to solve crimes by providing evidence of the crime.
- BWCs can help to protect police officers by providing evidence of their use of force.
- Call offenders to account: BWCs can provide evidence of police misconduct, which can help to hold officers accountable.
- Reduce fear and enhance personal security: BWCs can make people feel safer by making them aware that police officers are being held accountable.
- Guarantee safety in public spaces: BWCs can help to deter crime and make public spaces safer.
- Use financial resources fairly, efficiently, and effectively: BWCs can help to reduce the number of lawsuits against police departments, which can save money.
- Use force and authority appropriately: BWCs can help to ensure that police officers use force appropriately.
- Satisfy public demands and achieve legitimacy: BWCs can help to build trust between the police and the public.