Technology and the Modern Day Police Officer
November 7, 2011 5 Comments
Long gone are the days when all a police officer had was a side arm, a patrol car and a reliable partner. Today’s police officer is equipped with a vast array of technological tools designed to make their work more connected, more efficient and safer.
The average police officer today uses everything from smartphones to laptops to fully integrated databases. Their weapons, vehicles and even their uniforms are technological marvels when compared to equipment from just ten years ago. Officers today are generally better equipped, better trained and have more options and resources available to them for preventing and solving crimes than ever before.
The goal of this technological advancement is simple. Law enforcement wants – and needs – to fully integrate all the tools that are available to them so that they can provide better protective services and better investigative services.
Image from RoboCopArchive.com
Technological evolution has always been a part of law enforcement. Handcuffs became better. Service revolvers became more accurate. Bullet proof vests became both lighter and stronger. Training and techniques became more refined.
And while your average police officer today won’t likely resemble Batman, his array of tools just might!
Most officers today are trained and are comfortable using:
- Office computers and cruiser mounted laptops
- Smartphones and duty related applications
- Cameras and video equipment
Some officers even have advanced training with:
- Remote controlled police robotics
- Surveillance equipment
- Forensic science
Police departments themselves have collectively acquired greater abilities as well:
- Some patrol cars utilize license plate recognition cameras
- Most officers carry or have access to tasers
- Some departments use Geographic Information Services (GIS) to map local trouble spots
- Some departments employ technicians that use video enhancing to get better visuals from video footage
Make no mistake though (and if you’re in law enforcement you certainly won’t), police work equals hard and potentially dangerous work. While specially designed tools and technological advancements can make police work better in a lot of ways, the underlying issues are the same. Technology is there to help.
Common issues with increasing technological advancement for law enforcement personnel:
- Costs and expenses rise, budgets can be pinched
- New technology requires maintenance
- Extra training hours and education is often needed
- It can add layers of bureaucracy that did not previously exist
Most police officers recognize that technology – in all its forms – is a supplemental tool. Officers must still make decisions based on unique situations, their collective knowledge, their breadth of experience and an understanding of the training provided to them by their departments.
What technological advancement do you utilize most?
What tools do you think have furthered an officer’s ability to do their job better?
So how exactly did you make a bullet proof vest?
There are certainly a variety of ways that different manufacturers use to create bullet proof vests. Most vest are custom designed to fit a particular need for a particular market and like almost any other product, vests range from highest quality versions to budget oriented versions (though still of a very good quality). Thanks for the question.
Pingback: Spartan I.T. Solutions | Real Life Robocop?
Spartan I.T. – thanks for helping spread the message!
Pingback: » Better Understanding License Plate Recognition Cameras and Software Galls Blog