Top 4 Worrisome Technologies For Fighting Crime In The 21st Century

Well, modern technology employed by law enforcement officers practically takes crime fighting to the next new level and beyond. In fact, at a closer analysis, you can safely state that the gadgets that police officers have at their disposal are enough to make even Tony Stark jealous.

The issue with these impressive tools is not related to their efficiency, but rather that they need to be used wisely and in a law-regulated manner to prevent abuse. Let's review the best tools in the modern police departments' arsenal and the legitimate concerns they raise among the general public.

1. GPS tracking darts

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As the name suggests, the GPS tracking darts consist of small, sticky dart-shaped devices integrating a GPS tracker that can be shot directly from a machine located under the billet grille of the police car.

Even though it is easy to understand the benefits of these gadgets when the officers are dealing with smugglers and fleeing suspects, the problem here lays with the criteria they utilize to determine who is a suspect and who is not. The good news is that in the US, the practice will be regulated next year when the Supreme Court will rule that the GPS tracking darts cannot be fired without a warrant.

2. The X-ray vans

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The idea of unmarked X-ray vans placed in key positions to help law enforcement officers save time and effort with verifying large automobiles' cargos is commendable and efficient, given the purpose. On the other hand, using this type of powerful equipment in residential areas is disturbing.

In spite of the fact that it could be justified as criminal investigation, can anyone guarantee that the radiation emitted is safe and that the privacy of the alleged criminal's neighbors will be respected?

3. Facial recognition software

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The concept of facial recognition software was first brought to the public's attention when Facebook had implemented this technology earlier in 2012. Not surprisingly, the software employed by the law enforcement units is very similar to the one promoted by Facebook. Essentially, all it takes is a smartphone and a snapshot from approximately five feet away from a person to identify him/her and run a check in the criminal database.

Because you have to be as far as five feet to take the snapshot, it means that the officer could take the picture without asking for the consent of the person. While supporters of this practice claim the tech will reduce the numbers of racial profiling, it is necessary to mention that it could also be considered an abuse. After all, you don't see policemen simply grabbing a random person on the street for fingerprinting.

4. Monitoring online data for criminal evidence purposes

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Even though the media has presented a few arrests based on Facebook evidence in the past few years and it is not exactly new, it has been recently brought into the public's attention that the law enforcement officers and even attorneys and judges are scooping through the pages of major online retailers in search of stolen merchandise or illegal contraband.

Without denying the efficiency of the method, it is necessary to point out that power corrupts and that itself could lead to abuses, such as spying on an ex's social network profiles.

Charles Walker

About the Guest Author:

Charles Walker is currently working for Dribbin and Brown, an Australian company which is a criminal law firm in Dandenong.