How Technology Is Helping Law Enforcement Enhance Public Safety?
Everything around us is going digital at an increasingly fast pace due to the never-ending technological advancements. The good news is that most of these technologies are available to the general public, meaning there is no reason you should be left behind.
Law enforcement agencies, in particular, gain access to the latest technology before everyone else so that they can use it to fight crime and increase public safety. You might be wondering how technology helps the police find perps and bring them to justice.
This article will discuss the various ways in which technology is helping law enforcement fight crime.
Rapid response
Police drones can record video footage in real-time and provide an aerial view of criminal activity in an area. The police can then obtain the coordinates and arrive at the crime scene in time to stop the criminals and bring them to justice. Gunshot technology also uses electronic sensors and geographic trackers to help them respond rapidly in areas where gunshots are prevalent.
Improved accuracy
Anybody can commit a crime in an area and skip town to avoid getting caught. Without advanced technology, the police have no means to identify the criminals featured in surveillance cameras or can fingerprints left at a crime scene.
Facial recognition and artificial intelligence can now identify perpetrators in video surveillance footage and help the police track them down. The police also use biometrics to determine whose fingerprints they found at the crime scene to proceed with their investigations.
Law enforcement agencies also leverage a digital forensics tool to extract encrypted data evidence from any device allowing access to critical evidence.
Ability to work remotely
Since the invention of in-car computers, police officers don’t have to be at their desks to upload information to databases and servers. They could also download valuable leads and data about an ongoing investigation on the go to catch up with the bad guys.
Centralization of criminal justice databases
Law enforcement agencies deal with lots of data, evidence, and paperwork crucial to pending investigations. Should any of these documents or evidence become damaged or misplaced, the case could become skewered, causing the bad guys to getaway.
Cloud computing allows the police force to store their data in a centralized place where any authorized personnel can easily access them. Cloud storage can also help bring various law enforcement departments together and allow them to work as a united front in the fight against crime.
Ability to warn the public ahead of time
Apart from fighting crime and solving cases, the police could use technology to warn the public of an incoming storm that could cause significant damage or lead to the loss of lives. Law enforcement agencies could use drones and GPS technology to sense incoming danger and get the people to safety before adversity strikes.
Crime mapping could also come in handy to help the police warn the residents in the area to stay vigilant and report any incidents as soon as possible.
Wrapping up
The future of technology in law enforcement is bright, and we are looking forward to more ways the police can make our neighborhoods and country safe. Innovative agencies are bound to explore many new ways to improve crime prevention and investigations.
