(LS) — The 21st Century is a bad time to be a criminal. The advances in video and computer technology in the past 20 years have made getting away with crime more difficult than it has ever been. The improvements in law enforcement technology started slowly, with police cruisers being outfitted with video cameras to record interactions with suspects and federal databases being collected to track criminals. Before different law enforcement agencies started sharing information, a psycho like Ted Bundy was free to roam the land, killing at will. Now, his tendencies would be recorded and analyzed, and he would be tracked down in half the time. Technology has changed law enforcement in many unexpected ways, including:
- Identifying criminals immediately. FBI agent Melvin Purvis once came upon Pretty Boy Floyd eating dinner in his girlfriend’s apartment. Floyd was ready for him, though, and quickly produced identification claiming he was someone else. Now, this simply wouldn’t be possible. Today, many police officers have been outfitted with handheld RapID wireless units that can take prints of two of the suspect’s fingers and instantly identify him or her.
- Improving video evidence. The days of a turning on Cops to watch a grainy video showing a police officer’s interaction with a suspect he has pulled over are long gone. Modern video systems produce high definition video, with audio capabilities that record everything that happens within 25 yards of the cruiser or inside of it. Moreover, many systems now instantly begin recording when the cruiser’s lights come on, or can be turned on and off manually with controls on the steering wheel.
- More efficient automatic ticketing for driving infractions. Many stoplights around the country are already outfitted with cameras to catch people running them, and many states have also employed laser radar and camera systems that automatically nail speeders and mail them a ticket. If you’re driving down the road and suddenly a flash goes off – smile, you’re on not-so-candid camera.
- The eye in the sky. It’s more difficult than ever for criminals to escape in a high speed chase. The cameras mounted on many stoplights to catch people running them can track a high speed chase through most urban areas. Moreover, police cruisers are equipped with GPS systems that allow a central dispatcher to be aware of where any chase is headed without verbal communication. Also, the Track Stick from Telespial Systems can be placed on any vehicle, and it’s outfitted with a GPS tracking system that can tell you where it is or where it has been after the fact – a three-day mapping system can rewind and show police everywhere the Track Stick has gone.
- Law enforcement databases go mobile. In the movie The Blues Brothers, Illinois state troopers are able to track down Elwood Blues’ long record of unpaid traffic tickets using the SCMODS system (State, County, Municipal, Offender Data System), a huge box with a green screen that slowly produces his long list of unpaid tickets. Just like women who smoke Virginia Slims, law enforcement databases have come a long way baby! Now, law enforcement officers can use an app on their Blackberrys to access a national database and track down a criminal record immediately.
- DNA technology now reliable. While still not recognized in court, DNA identification technology is now foolproof, and it provides two vital functions. First, it allows law enforcement agencies to identify or eliminate suspects, so they know on whom to concentrate gathering evidence. Second, DNA evidence has allowed many innocent people who have been convicted to be set free.
- Improved technology for disaster management. If the 9-11 tragedy happened twenty years ago, police and firemen on the scene would have had no way of communicating with each other or a command center. Now, satellite telephones permit communication between emergency services even when cell phone service has been cut off to the general public. Now, law enforcement and other emergency services can better deal with riots, earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, floods, terrorist attacks, and tornadoes.
- Portable X-Ray Devices. The days of suspects hiding things from law enforcement officers – whether drugs, stolen goods or microfilm – are also long gone. Law enforcement now have access to handheld X-Ray machines that can instantly tell what a suspect is hiding on their person or what is concealed inside a mysterious box.
- Tailgating now pinpointed. The Arizona DPS is employing laser devices that are handheld and can measure instantly whether one car is following too closely behind another. There’s no more arguing out of a tailgating ticket.
- Physical force no longer needed. Law enforcement officers no longer have to beat a suspect into submission. Just zap him or her once (maybe twice for the big fellas) with a stun gun, and resistance is futile.
The days of famed outlaws like John Dillinger, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid or Ted Bundy terrorizing the country for long periods of time are over. Technology has made the long arm of the law longer, and now criminals must get in line, or they’ll be doing time.
