future technology in law enforcement doc

‘cer Sample stars his shift by leaving the sta- tion in his powerful, yet ultraeicient, hydrogen-fueled ‘patrol unit and surveil the streets of Civil City “Hey Holly, what's going on tod

‘cer Sample stars his shift by leaving the sta- tion in his powerful, yet ultraeicient, hydrogen-fueled

‘patrol unit and surveil the streets of Civil City “Hey Holly, what's going on today Good day; Officer Sam- ple,” responds his personal assistant, 6-inch animated hologram that stands on the passenger-sde dashboard Holly has access to hundreds

of public and private databases, executes a number of commands simultaneously, uses voice

ly re he etre

‘eae an gang a spend

‘tout oye exactly tke eo ones ne ings on as

ans Kstring'

interaction software, and com-

‘municates with Officer Sample through sensors in his helmet that transmit commands to her through a mind switch She states, “Your voice log-on imprint, password, and system- access level were confirmed

Let us review a summary of crime highlights forthe past

24 hours in Civil City, focusing

‘on your assigned district Then,

‘we'll follow with brief accounts

of regional, state, national, and Jnterational news that may

‘impact your duties today

May 2008 15

be responding to assist him The

UAV provides GPS (the US Understanding and Depariment of Defense's Global discussing futures Positioning System) coordinates lasuss hele chisana on hwnd dieting OF aap concerts cet Sample to the subject The

andmake etterise | Scan hàn:

of new ideas ‘ments to their monitors listene

ing to and watching the same

IF | sequence

‘As Officer Sample exits his patrol unit, the subject runs The UAV easily follows him despite the disadvantage of darkness,

“What else do you have EAs 12.minutes." Within 30 Officer Sample could have forme today?" asks Officer minutes, Holly advises Officer continued to watch the video Sample Holly immediately re- Sample that through facial and feed from the UAV on his wrist,

sponds, “We detected adispro- voice recognition technology, module but, instead, lowers portionate amount of criminal the UAV identified a subject his helmer’s facial visor, auto- Activity at Pine and Century with an active arest warrant matically engaging the digitally

‘during the past 24 hours, Units charging sexual assault Inves- enhanced night-vision lenses

\Were sent to two disturbances tigators had placed the subject’s that easly allow him to sce the inthe street; one vehicle was biometric data (Fingerprints, suspect inthe darkness His towed; and Officer Citem tem- palm prints, voice imprint, DNA helmet provides his location to porarily detained, but did not code, facial images, and blood the others via the built-in GPS arrest, a convicted drug dealer, type) into the wanted persons system As he begins to pursue

Based upon historical data, database Officer Sample the fleeing criminal, the Sensors there isa 41 percent possibil- drives to the area while Holly of his exoskeleton suit sense his ity of drug sales, prostitution simultaneously advises the exertion and provide sulficient actviy, ora felony street crime dispatcher, field sergeant, watch energy o propel im at three

‘occurring there within the next commander, and case investiga- times his normal running speed:

“Send a UAV," directs OF As Holly feeds stabilized, —— secondk

jeer Sample "Have it san two real-time video images from the

jocks in every ditection rom UAV tathe heads-up display CURRENT RESEARCH

ean Cora vie me? onttepolunitwnsha, AND TECHNOLOGIES

any known felons prostitutes, Officer Sample listens to the Could this scenario be right fordrug dealers are loitering in UAV's digitally enhanced around the corner? Law e

the area.” ‘audio feed in one earpiece of forcement agencies may begin Holly responds, “Executing his LEAP* uniform helmet using some ofthese new devie~ now The UAV is launching Inthe other ear, he hears the es i he field Atleast one large from the city corporation yard radio communications of units U.S metropolitan police agency 16/ FBI Law Enorcament ulin

is experimenting with UAVs

and another with facial rcorni-

tion technology through cam

eras mounted in a publie park

kknoven for frequent incidents of

violent erime.* Will future tech

nology benefit or hinder the law

enforcement profession?

‘As with any futures issue, it

is difficult to present hard data

and fact-based research because

the future has yet to occur”

Many ofthe advancements will

Fequire coresponding lepisla-

tion to make their use lawful

Further, they will eed public-

ity, documentation, explanation,

and suecess stories to gain pub-

lie aeceptanee Understanding

and discussing futures issues

help citizens grasp the concepts

and make better use of new

ideas

Inthe past few decades,

technology has advanced

‘quicker than earlier years, The

Jaw enforcement profession

has the need, ata minimum, to

stay eurtent with the tacties and

techniques of criminals and,

presumably, should be step

for two ahead IF it gets too far

behind, it may be (eehnologi-

cally outgunned Research in

areas relevant to law enforce

‘ment (eg weapons, communi-

cations, computers, brain wave

Sensors, density seanners, vision

enhancement, augmented real-

ity, and biometrics) continues to

develop rapidly For agencies,

the challenge les in adapting

the technology into workable

field equipment and anthropo- sromphie devices those that, enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement officers

Compartment Detectors Scientists atthe President's Office of National Drug Controt Policy, Counterdrug Teehnol-

‘ogy Assessment Center (CTAC) Sdeveloped the mini buster secret compartment detector,

‘handheld deviee tha senses density in solid objects When scanned over the body of a mo- tor vehicle, it ean locate hidden compartments used to smuggle contraband, terorist devices, or other illegal items

a

The U.S military's development of the UAV would significantly affect Taw enforcement

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Wireless Systems

In the communication arena, CCTAC seientists produced the wireless interoperability system, whieh connects the radi Ire- {quencies of various emergeney responders (Federal, state, and loeal) who may need to

coordinate activities at a large incident.’ The system provides smooth, fas, and accurate real-time communications for temergency personnel

Search and Evidence Aids

‘Two projects underway at CTAC ate aimed at helping with searches and evidence pre- sentation,” Nonintrusive cargo inspection technology would reveal the presence of contra- band ina sealed container and identify the contents (drugs,

‘weapons, biological agents, explosive, or lawful cargo de- setibed on the manifest) without expending costly time and re- sources searching by hand This hnandheld device could prove valuable for use on shipping containers and vehicles passing through seaports, truck inspec- tign facilites, airports, and ports

of entry

‘Additionally, the video stabilization system electron cally converts useles, unstable surveillance video into cls

‘ourt-presentable evidence CTAC also provides federal, state, and local law enforcement

‘agencies with such equipment

as third-generation night-vision and digital-wirotap devices

LEAP Uniforms U.S Department of Defense researchers are designing the LEAP system unifonm LEAP

i a comprehensive, integrated

‘modular-system approach toa

May 2008 17

tactical uniform, offering bal-

istic, chemical, and biological

protection for special opera-

tions police officers —a hybrid

of soldiers, SWAT officers, and

hhazardous materials specialists,

Because special operations of-

fivers have difficulty performing

tactical duties while wearing

existing lage, plastic hazardous

‘materials suits, the U.S, Depart

‘ment of Homeland Security,

Office of Science and Technal-

gy, is sponsoring a muliagen-

ey effort to integrate several

technologies into an advanced

Jaw enforcement uniform The

LEAP uniform employs an ex-

tea layer just above an officer's

waist that actually i the top

part ofthe chemical-biological

protective material connected

‘oa nonpermeable bottom

When needed, the officer dotts

the Toad-carriage vest, slips

{nto the rolled-out top half with

built-in gloves and hood, and

then dans a mask, helmet, and

the vest again Soft body armor

covers the tors, shoulders, and

‘upper arms The vest ean be

configured to cary radio, extra,

ammunition, hydration pouches,

tnd other items The ergonomic

load-bearing belt holds a pistol,

‘magazines, handeuls, fash

bangs, and other equipment In

addition to protecting the head

against ballistic trauma, the

LEAP helmet incorporates a

GPs, radio antenna, Hashlighy,

drop-down visor with heads-up

isplay, and a detachable

18/ FBI Law Enocament uleln

‘mandible to caver the face and neck, The uniform includes boos, kneepads, elbow pads, and a Waste management zipper

Biometeies Researchers at the United Kingdom Police Information Technology Organization use biometrics research to build database of violent criminals land sex offenders” The tech- nology uses facial and voice cognition systems to enhance automated fingerprint an palin print identification Video feameras and microphones used

in public or private surveil

TH HT) tên thousands ofthese types of | criminals

Á(————

Another powerful new technology is augmented reality,

Ss}

‘The Pinellas County, Florida, Sheriffs Office uses facial recognition technology to identity prisoners booked into the county jail, station inthe booking area takes four facial

‘mages in less than $ seconds

‘Along with the normal data, such as name, address, physical

descriptors, and date of birth, collected during booking, the images are stored in a database, Deputies then print a temporary jail identification card, complete

‘with a color photo, that they use to identity inmates during incarceration, This allows them

to easily transfer the data and

‘mages, via e-mail, to computer

‘workstations for use by other personnel in records, inves- tigations, and patrol units" Deputies throughout the county Ihave better access to criminal histories tha inelude multiple photographs ofthe defendant Further, they conduct mobile searches through personal computers and digital assistants Using a digital camera, deputies

in the field ean lake images of

«person and launch a database search by using a docking sta tion inside a patrol unit, Then, they can search the database using a digitized image of a person from a sil, video, or composite source

UAVs

‘The U.S military's devetop- iment ofthe UAV would signi cantly affect law enforcement Using existing nanotechnology, police UAV wold be the size

‘ofa smal bird and stay aloft quietly for hours Using facial and voice recognition software, the devices would sean hun- dreds of yards omnidirection- ally, day or night, for felons

‘oF wanted persons One UAV

could perform many of the same

tasks as several plainclothes of

ficers in unmarked vehicles

Exoskeleton S

‘The exoskeleton suit uses

nanotechnology and artificial

‘muscles to allow an officer to

fun with minimal effort over

prolonged periods at speed

of up to 20 mph Top speed is

35 mph for shorter distances

The suit enables officers to lift

items up to four times their own

weight Several institutions

are studying the applicable

technology

Mind Switeh

‘The ultimate interface be-

tween humans and computers

‘ay be a neural link directly

from the human brain tothe

computer, Seietists a the Us

versity of Technology Sydney

Australia have developed

‘revolutionary mind switch,

Labeled the environmental

control unit (ECU), the mind

switch is activated by a burst in

alpha brainwaves when a person

closes the eyes and imagines the

desired activity" A computer

receives the signal and acti-

vates a home electronic device,

such as a radio, appliance, or

television Participants inthe

experiment also were able 10

adjust controls, such as volume

In its latest testing, the switch

was over 90 pereent reliable

when used by severely disabled

persons who received minimal

training The research opens a

ew world of possibilities when hhumans and computers begin to communicate through the rain Augmented Reali

“Another powerful new technology is aygmented reality (AR)." Advanced AR viru ally overlays computer-gener- ated images onto a person real-world vision, “Situational awareness is greatly improved,

theoretically allowing one person equipped with AR tech- nology to do the same amount

of work as three unequipped individuals." AR could have a umber of possible uses for law enforeement, including — 1) having patol ear operas daa and regional traffic

‘management information ona heads-up display t0

‘make driving safer and more efcient, especially during

pursuit and rapid response 2) using idemification friend

‘or-foe technology, wom by every officer, o reduce oF climinate friendly fire easu- lies by visually, audibly,

‘or haptically highlighting Fellow officers both on and off duty;

3) projecting a display of officer location, activity,

‘and status information om @ three-dimensional map of the community:

4) managing the coordinated use of robots, UAVs, and police officers through an

‘AR network to enhance survelllane activities; and 5) employing realistic training scenarios to simulate dan- _erous police environments

‘while blending real-world equipment and fellow train {ees into the scenario.”

ADDITIONAL, DEVELOPMENTS, Several other technolo, cal advancements are on the horizon for the law enforcement community Such innovations include personal assistants, speech synthesis, wearable

‘computes, data mining, liquid body armor, electronic clothing anificial intelligence, and crime Forecasting

For some time, computers have processed commands ftom

May 2008 19

human speech tsing voje Ìn

terpretaton software, The next

atual step is voice imeraction,

Similae to an interactive robot

Personal assistants are highly

intelligent computers that use

‘blend of emerging technolo

ies, such as speech recogni

tion, synthesis, and augmented

reality, Integrating the device to

‘an unlimited numberof public

‘and private databases, employ

ing data-mining technology, and

‘communicating with existing

law enforcement eommuic

tions systems (e-., compute

aided dispatch, GPS-guided

locator systems, mobile data

computers) could create a pow

erful and efficient information

‘management system A police

officer sing sich a too! in the

field could accomplish many’

tasks simultaneously by simply

conversing with the device and

issuing verbal commands

20/ FBI Law Enorcoment Bletn

LEGAL CHALLENGES Legal constrains asso ated with the se ofa personal assistant presenta significant hurdle, Law enforcement agen- cies continuously navigate the information privacy las The issues include not only how the data is obtained but also how itis used and by whom Once the legal system sorts out these issues, law enforcement’s use of personal data may significantly enhance the efliciency’of police officers and investigators.”

FUNDING ISSUES Obtaining funding resources presents another substantial barrier to technology innova- tion Many government agen- cies operate with fairly Tean or Underfunded budgets In many local publie safety agencies,

‘most Funding resources go toward personnel, Managers are

reluctant to gamble with public funds on equipment, devices, for systems representing innova tive technology because such designs may fail Why purchase digital camera when the silver halide film camera has worked well for decades? The inability

to stay current with and fund technological advances poses & significant problem for state and local agencies.” Just provi ing some basi items that other

‘metropolitan agencies have had for years canbe a difficult task Local agencies increasingly rely upon federal departments and the military to furnish these items through grants and other assistance programs State and Federal agencies typically pro- vide grant funding for esearch,

as well as new products just emerging from the research and design phase Cash-strapped Jaw enforcement agencies should take every possible advantage of grans aimed at introducing new products and technology into the Field, Small- ceragencies may want o follow the lead of large metropolitan

‘ones, which typically have more resources 10 aequite, evaluate, and implement new technol- ogy Smaller agencies should Form a committee of forward- thinking individuals, sworn and rnonswvorn, who meet occasion ally 4 assess new technology resources and make recom=

‘mendations tothe agency

executive, Those suggestions

should serve to guide the orga-

nization ina direction that cm-

braces future technology com

patible with existing systems,

‘Applying undeveloped technol=

boy products to the future mar-

ket is lagely dependent upon

the needs of law enforcement

and available funding Legal

‘issues and privacy concems

iso must be resolved along

the way:

CONCLUSION

Law enforcement officers

serve as information brokers

The future of policing depends

con both the use of tecinal-

fay’ to provide officers with

information and on comput-

es to enhance human ability:

The seamless integration of

computer systems is essential

to the law enforcement profes-

sion, Notwithstanding costs and

legal constraints officers may

become even more efficient

swith the proper application

of such advanced technology

The more information officers

have at their disposal, the more

elfectively they can serve their

communities and protect not

only themselves but ther it-

zens as well, Future technology

‘definitely can benet the law

enforcement profession—are

officers ready?

“Law nce and ptson

‘cu crime Wisk Aig New

Honest onl heb of

ff — _

The future of policing depends

on both the use

of technology to provide officers with information and on computers

to enhance human ability

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May 2000 21