TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY

1. DRONES

   • CONTRIBUTION: Ability to observe public spaces to assist with crowd control; Used to assist in diagraming crash reconstruction; Increases police report accuracy by having a video documenting a scene. https://grinddrone.com/info/pros-cons-police-drones
   • CHALLENGE: Can be used to violate someone's privacy and 4th Amendment Rights www.policechiefmagazine.org/considering-privacy-issues-raised-by-the-use-of-unmanned-aerial-vehicles/
     •    If a drone were to follow a person to a dwelling and looking into the window that would violate their 4th Amendment rights due to not having a warrant to do so.   

2. GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)

   • CHALLENGE: The use of contextualized data from a law enforcement agency raises new concerns about the need for privacy and confidentiality. Overlaying specific crimes with ethnicity, age, and gender may inadvertently reveal the identity of a victim. www.ncjrs.gov/ovc_archives/reports/geoinfosys2003/cm3b.html
   • CONTRIBUTION: Crime Mapping enhances a police officer’s time on the streets and enhances the agency's ability to use the data. It plots the geographical attributes of criminal phenomena, so when asked why a specific crime occurs in a certain area, a law enforcement agency can seek the answer with the data. www.ncjrs.gov/ovc_archives/reports/geoinfosys2003/cm3b.html

3. GUNSHOT DETECTION

   • CONTRIBUTION: Ability to get report of a firearm discharge immediately; Can link directly to officers' cell phones via app. A study confirmed positive outcomes in police response and dispatch times Due to the use of Shot Spotter. www.shotspotter.com/law-enforcement/gunshot-detection/
   • CHALLENGE: Privacy concerns have been raised because of the microphones used in gunshot detection; False alarms can be costly and time-consuming; Concerns of over-policing in communities of color. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15614263.2013.800671

4. COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCH (CAD)

   • CHALLENGE: Concerns can arise as to how long data is kept in the CAD system and how secure it is; System/software breakdowns can leave operators without critical information, delaying response speed and accuracy. www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/08/911-dispatch-emergency-system-fail-breakdown/ www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/Tech/Privacy/SPD%20Computer%20Aided%20Dispatch%20Final%20SIR.pdf
   • CONTRIBUTION: Reduces unnecessary radio traffic; Serves as a permanent record of the shift's activities; Can address needs of multiple first responding agencies. www.10-8systems.com/blog/post.php?post=27&title=What+is+a+Computer-Aided+Dispatch+(CAD)+System+for+Law+Enforcement?

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