21ST Century Criminal ID Procedures

21st Century Criminal ID Procedures

The introduction of innovative technology in law enforcement has tremendously aided federal and state agencies to effectively do their job and slightly improve the condition of communities around the country . According to Greg Mullen , the Police Chief at Charleston Technology is an accelerator for the other things we are doing .It saves so much time and really increases the efficiency of what we 're doing (Smith , 2008 . However , some technology may promise more than it can deliver (Reyes , 2007 . Indeed , technologies that are used in law

enforcement such as video camera surveillance , wiretap surveillance license plate reader , fleeing vehicle tagging system , DNA analysis inter-agency DNA Database , and biometric identification such as retina scan , have its own disadvantages and advantages

Video Camera and Wiretap Surveillance

Video camera surveillance is prevalent these days especially in banks and other businesses . Even though there are 30 million surveillance cameras all over the country , 71 percent of Americans still want an increase of video surveillance (Vlahos , 2008 . The reason why people do not mind having more video surveillance in public places is they feel more secure knowing that activities of molesters , petty thieves or criminals are caught on tape . According to Police Chief Mullen , video surveillance cameras in high-crime areas monitor public spaces for signs of trouble . Cameras can help police spot crimes in the making and better track crooks as they try to make their getaway (Smith , 2008 Thus , video surveillance help solve crimes because recorded images cannot be disputed in court (Vlahos , 2008

However , heightened security comes at price . In this instance , people exchange their privacy for extra measure of safety (Vlahos , 2008 Another form of surveillance that invades a person 's privacy is wiretap surveillance . This kind of surveillance is used [w]hen police cannot use other investigative techniques to safely and successfully collect evidence and intelligence ' that can be used as indisputable proof in court (Congressional Testimony , 2004 . This technology is disturbing because people cannot even escape intrusion in their own homes . Also this technology may be utilized by people who are not in the law enforcement agency . Imagine the possible damage that may occur if this technology is in possession of the wrong hands

Surveillance , whether video camera or wiretap , makes people careful and more discerning about their actions . But this does not necessarily translate into deterrence . The only value that surveillance has is that justice can be served swiftly because conviction will be expedited due to irrefutable evidence . Still , video surveillance has its limitations because the camera cannot completely zoom in on the face of a specific person , whatever is recorded is all the evidence someone has . In addition , if a person is wearing a cap so that his or her face is hidden or the person is positioned in a location that is not covered properly by the camera , identifying the said person will not be easy

Wiretap surveillance done by people , that are not for the sake of putting a guilty person behind...