How Has Technology Changed Policing

We are living in an age of technological growth. The speed and creativity of this growth is unprecedented and can be seen almost everywhere you look. One of the most prevalent changes that technology has created is the way that we work. Furthermore, it hasn’t just helped with the work of people like computer programmers or data analyzers; no, it has impacted almost every job in some way. One career that isn’t usually thought to have too much to with technology is policing. But actually, just in the last couple of years major breakthroughs have been made that can make it easier for police officers to keep us safe. Brand new data systems have been developed and officers now have more ways to communicate with each other than ever before. And new surveillance technologies have made policing safer for us, and for all the

It wasn’t until radio became widely available that police officers had a viable way to communicate with each other and with superiors. Now with the development of data systems being available in cars, police officers can both communicate at will and also have many more materials at their disposal wherever they go. And the amazing thing is that this technology hasn’t even begun to reach its full capacity. In the results of a study done on the Sussex police force by Paul Hampton and Martin Langham it explains that “The communications infrastructure provides access to the Police National Computer (PNC), allowing officers to make vehicle and name inquiries whilst on the move.” (Hampton and Langham, 2005) This type of system has proved to be amazingly helpful. Having a “national computer” means that each police officer can see everything that happens crime-wise in their country. On the other hand, some people wonder if having computer systems in cars may be dangerous. With screens being such an addicting factor in our lives, some people wonder if even police officers may be distracted while driving. This increased distraction, even