Technology has been successful in paving its way to almost every sector. And it is needless to say that law enforcement agencies, judiciary, and forensic labs have always been early adopters of advanced technology solutions.
Everything contributes to accelerating criminal investigations, from drones to biometrics and predictive analytics to data extraction software. The authorities and agencies are also leveraging these tools to enhance public safety, save lives and catch culprits.
Read on to learn more about the innovative technical solutions that are helping in accelerating criminal investigations.
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Facial recognition software
Discussing criminal investigations would be incomplete without mentioning facial recognition software. The software has helped the law enforcement authorities as an investigative tool to catch criminals at a remarkable rate since 2001.
Due to its promising nature, the US Department of Homeland Security plans to use facial recognition software on 97% of travels by 2024. The software is proven to effectively scan around 7,000 passengers who had violated the travel norms and overstayed their visas. The software also makes it easier for the authorities to share the database with foreign governments.
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Mobile device forensic tools
There are times when law enforcement authorities, forensic labs, or advocates require valid digital evidence to solve crimes. Digital evidence also comes in handy when the investigators are trying to learn about a suspect’s involvement in a particular case. And that’s where mobile device forensics tools come into the picture. As per the experts at grayshift.com these tools help the investigators with data extraction. And thereby, gain relevant intelligence in a criminal investigation, giving them an upper hand with critical evidence.
Mobile device forensic tools also help the investigators capture any relevant data from a particular device and uncover any potential fraudulent activity. Not only this, but these advanced tools allow law enforcement officers to extract and decode incriminating artifacts and prevent drug trafficking.
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Reliable drone assistance
The US Police departments have been using drone technology or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to take an aerial or bird’s eye view of the crime scene. These drones are also used to make successful rescue efforts and help in monitoring the crowd seamlessly.
Some of the high-tech drone models are also equipped with 3D mapping and thermal imaging. The devices are able to capture quality sketches and photos, which helps in giving a detailed view of the crime scene. Not only this, but some of them also have zoom cameras that help the law enforcement officers to monitor armed and dangerous situations in real-time.
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Latest Biometric systems
Img source: tbs-biometrics.com
Biometrics is not something that is new to the US police department. Officers have been using fingerprints to identify people and criminals for more than a century. So, what’s new?
Today, the latest biometric systems also include DNA and facial recognition. Not only this, but the system also recognizes voices, wrist veins, palmprints, even heartbeats. This comprehensive electronic database helps law enforcement officers to reveal a suspect’s identity within 60 seconds. That’s fast!
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Detection and positioning systems
Regardless of their impeccable strength, law enforcement officials can’t track every single person or vehicle. That’s why they are equipped with detection and positioning systems that are used to locate the defaulters and criminals. Here are some detection systems used by the police and forensic departments to solve the investigations seamlessly.
Img source: unsplash.com
- GIS and GPS: These systems have been helping police officials for decades now. The officers use such tech solutions to track criminals and determine the suspect’s location immediately. With time the technology is becoming more efficient and helps in giving accurate results.
- GDS or Gunshot detection systems: Law enforcement officials often install electronic sensors in suspicious and high-crime neighborhoods. The best part of using these sensors is that it helps the officials figure out the exact location of the gunshot or the bullet. It enables the officers to give a better and on-time response.
- Automatic License Plate Recognition system: There are times when on-road defaulters try to escape the police chase. But little do they know; the police cars are equipped with cameras and sensors that allow them to scan the license plates and help them acquire authentic information about the vehicle. The system comes in handy with the stolen cars.
- Efficient ID trackers: Police officers don’t have time to cross check every driver’s ID and information manually. Thankfully, with the help of ID trackers, they can quickly have access to any driver’s information at any traffic stop. The online database also lets the officers verify the driver’s information even if they do not carry their IDs or driving licenses. The database usually requires biometric information such as fingerprints from the driver, and that’s it. The police officers will be able to figure out if the driver was previously arrested or have any outstanding dues right away. The technology is predicted to be a part of every state’s law enforcement department to make things easier for the officers.
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Body-worn cameras
Img source: arnoldventures.org
BWC or body-worn cameras have proven to be a huge aid for law enforcement officers. It is used by uniform police and helps them capture video and audio recordings of their public interactions. The cameras allow the officers to get real-time audio and video evidence at the crime or incident scenes. The footage recorded by these cameras can be used as legal evidence in court to support their arguments.
These cameras are durable and exclusively designed to integrate with police in-car systems. This way, the officers are able to get a video of a particular point from multiple directions and points of view. The enhanced version of these cameras includes a higher resolution, wider fields, clearer audio, and heightened environmental resistance.
To conclude:
Advanced technology is a two-way sword. If they fall into the wrong hands, criminals can easily exploit the resources and can perform illegal activities. Believe it or not, criminals are actually tech-savvy. So, in order to limit their misuse, the availability of these technical solutions has been limited to the government, law enforcement, and forensic agencies. Thanks to the aforementioned tech solutions, the authorities can solve crimes and investigations at a colossal rate.
