Interviews

Technology evolution

by Mark Rowe

Technology forms an integral part of modern day policing and security – and innovations show no sign of slowing down as we move deeper into the digital age, writes James Nicoll, of Reveal Media.

Technology that was once seen as an unlikely and inconceivable dream is now being seamlessly integrated with police departments all over the UK. Here’s a look at some of the technological advancements that are infiltrating the kit lists of law enforcement officers across the globe.

Robotic cameras

Gone are the days when a police officer’s life would be put at risk to get some eyes on a dangerous crime scene – now officers can rely on a simple, throwable robotic camera. The device has a motor and specialised wheels which allow it to move, climb and explore while being controlled wirelessly from a safe location. The robotic cameras can be used indoors or outside, with a rugged design that helps it to tackle a wide variety of difficult terrain, giving officers a distinct advantage when they can’t directly see a suspect, or they need to investigate a dangerous situation – such as a bomb threat.

Facial recognition

Facial recognition software can be an extremely useful high-tech tool for police to analyse faces from video footage against known entries in the database. In the UK, images can be taken from CCTV, digital cameras or even smartphones and searched in the police force’s database of 92,000 potential suspects. The system, named Neo-Face, divides the input image into small segments and only focuses on highly similar segments of the face – giving a far more accurate match in seconds. On top of its speed, Neo-Face can also find family members related to the person they are trying to identify.

GPS vehicle pursuit

High-speed chases can be highly dangerous for both police officers and civilians. New technology has recently become available to the police allowing them to shoot a special GPS-equipped dart that adheres to the suspects’ vehicle – with authorities then able to track the vehicle from a safe distance without putting lives at risk. The Darts are made from semi-rigid foam, aimed using a laser and fired using an air-compressor-powered mechanism from the grille of the front of the police car.

Although these systems are not yet fully operational, there’s no doubt that they could be extremely useful and potentially life-saving in the event of a high-speed chase. However, law enforcement experts are divided about the usefulness of the GPS Dart technology, raising questions as to the accuracy and reliability of the Dart. The use of GPS technology to track people also raises some privacy concerns, and could require officers to obtain a search warrant before using a device for long-term tracking of a vehicle.

Gunshot detection

Gun crime is on the rise and, in the US, a system has been developed to help police to combat gunfire in badly affected areas. A gunshot detection systems relies upon multiple electronic sensors installed throughout a neighbourhood to pinpoint the exact location from which shots were fired. This is particularly useful in areas where shots are fired frequently and witnesses are hesitant to give evidence to the police – and police are sure to save a great deal of time painstakingly seeking evidence to determine what happened.

Gunshot data can then be used with existing analytics to determine who lives in areas where shots are fired often, and connections can be made. This allows for predictive policing, where officers can respond quickly to a crime scene after shots are recorded, with a list of suspects they know live within the area. Once perpetrators realise that monitoring systems are being used in a neighbourhood, incidents should begin to drop off.

There’s no denying the increasingly important role that technology will continue to play in policing. Many people believe that innovation is essential to evolve the model of policing – but it must be done in such a way that doesn’t lead to the ‘de-skilling’ of officers, who may rely less on experience and skill development to aid them. Technology must aid the police in serving the community more effectively, rather than allowing them to lose their focus.

About the writer: James Nicoll is a blogger for Reveal Media, which supplies wearable technology products to front-line workers and security staff.

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