Cops on the cutting edge

Greg Risling

Computers. Fax machines. Video cameras.

Nonexistent items in the workplace 20 years ago, such high-tech devices

are now commonplace. Ask any veteran police officer about those

newfangled items back then and they would have probably given you a look

of complete confusion.

The fact is, technology has created a world of wonder in law enforcement

and there is little doubt that high-tech breakthroughs will continue to

mold police forces.

“Computers have changed our world, not just in law enforcement, but also

in nearly every other facet of our society,” said Costa Mesa police Chief

Dave Snowden. “All of this technology is incredible. I’m absolutely

amazed to see the number of resources we have at our fingertips.”

When Snowden was a rookie police officer in the 1960s, he hadn’t even

heard of a computer, let alone know how to work one. Back in Snowden’s

heyday, officers carried revolvers, wrote police reports by hand and

typically waited weeks to get fingerprint results from the state.

Today, with the push of a button, information can be instantly accessed,

giving police officers the opportunity to be more efficient and more

timely. They may not have seen it coming, but law enforcement officers

have welcomed technological advances with open arms.

“I think the biggest difference from when I first started out is that we

have taken a majority of our resources and put them out in the field,”

said Newport Beach police Capt. Tim Riley, who has been with the

department for 26 years. “By doing so, we have received information in a

timely fashion and are providing a better level of service.”

Technology has provided law enforcement agencies with a streamlined

approach in fighting crime. Advances in DNA testing, fingerprints and

other evidence-gathering techniques have solidified prosecution cases.

Because police departments are learning quickly how to use technology,

response times are reduced, information is processed faster and paperwork

is vastly reduced. Officers say this lets them devote more time to

ongoing cases, most notably unsolved murders.

“It’s allowed us to do more in-depth investigation,” said Newport Beach

police Sgt. Mike McDermott. “What that also does is raise the bar a

little bit higher for us. People expect a better level of service than

they did 20 years ago.”

Technology has also enabled police departments to start new programs such

as volunteer-based and citizen academy projects that foster a better

relationship between cop and resident.

Still, the new technology has brought out a new kind of criminal. The

Internet has been a modern gold mine for crooks who are trading child

pornography, stealing credit card numbers and running fraudulent Web

sites. Law enforcement agencies have kept up by enrolling in numerous

training courses. But authorities believe the benefits far outweigh the

negatives when talking about technology.

“I think technology has helped us out a great deal more than hurt us,”

Snowden said. “From top to bottom, if we didn’t have what we do today, we

wouldn’t be doing our job as well and we would need more people doing

it.”

How far can technology take law enforcement in the future? Some officials

worry about the rapid pace, fearing that privacy issues may be violated

at some point. With video cameras in squad cars and, in some cities,

cameras attached at major intersections, technology might be moving

toward George Orwell’s vision in his book, “1984.”

“There is a fine line between helping the public and having Big Brother

watching you,” Snowden said. “There are a lot of new innovations that may

or may not be used.”

However, some are being used. Newport Beach has added electric cars to

its motorized force. Some departments have employed video cameras for

arraignments, allowing the defendant to speak to a judge over a

television, thus cutting down on transportation and staff costs.

Some law enforcement officers are hoping to push the envelope. A DNA

database similar to the one used for fingerprints would be helpful in

murder and rape cases, they point out.

Communication will likely be enhanced between law enforcement agencies,

but encryption on scanners also used by the public may be an issue.

“It’s hard to predict what police departments will look like in the next

century,” McDermott said. “But it’s obvious that we have to keep up with

the fast pace of technology. We can’t afford to fall behind.”