Technology, Criminal Investigations, and Ethics

1298 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How is the use of technology within the criminal investigation process important

Abstract This paper discusses several implementations of modern technology in criminal investigations, and the ethical issues that accompany these techniques, focusing on the tradeoff between security and privacy. Specific topics include centralization of information, telecommunications, and general technology. Cases are cited for each topic, as well as a discussion of the ethical issues involved.

With the advent of modern technologies, the face of criminal investigations, and indeed daily life, has been irrevocably altered. In addition to locating criminals with ease, authorities now have the ability to monitor potential criminals before they can commit crimes. However, with an increased ability to detect comes an inevitable tradeoff in privacy. To monitor society as a whole is to monitor both the innocent and the guilty.

Phases of sudden change imply a period of social adaptation, namely debates centered on the 4th amendment and personal privacy. Cases related to the 4th amendment reflect the difficult application of 200 year-old principles to a changing society, while the latter examine the tradeoff between privacy and protection.

Despite a large number of high-profile cases surrounding general technology and criminal investigations, the majority of advancements in the field have been undeniably beneficial to the law enforcement community. Ballistics, the study of dynamics of projectiles, has aided authorities in tracing countless criminals. By maintaining a record of firearm and ammunition types, sources, and characteristics, investigators are given an invaluable tool in collecting information about crimes. The recent advent of DNA testing and analysis allows for incontrovertible identification of individuals. Traces as insubstantial as fingernails, hair, and skin cells can place an individual at the scene of a crime. Police who are equipped with laptop computers can instantly look up the history of a vehicle, including whether it was reported as stolen or owned by an individual with outstanding warrants. Many innovations have indisputably aided criminal investigation without causing controversy. However, there have been a multitude of technologies that have incited oversensitive privacy advocates.

Centralization of information is one concept that has provoked debate. Large databases can contain information about an entire state or country, which has been done for years in paper form. The distinction is that when information takes electronic form, its location is often indeterminate and the data is prone to corruption or piracy. Given the potential to integrate information about an individual into a single record, there is reason to worry about misuse.

Show More
Related

  • Native American Policy: The Board Of Indian Commissioners

    704 Words  | 2 Pages

    What should the Indian become?” For over a century at this point, the Americans are still trying to ponder the question and control the life of the different Native American tribe. Interestingly, the board does not call out specific tribes, rather, generalizing all the tribes at the time into one category. As mentioned in class, the United States recognized five tribes as “civilized”. The tribes that the United States specially mentioned were: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and the Seminole. Again, the United States government contradicts itself in regards to Indian policy. Since the colonial period, Americans tried to “civilize” all different types of Indian tribes. Fast forward a hundred years, after recognizing these five tribes as civilized, the American government is still trying to control the “destiny” of Indian tribes. The “destiny” that the Board of Indain Commissioners decides is that the Indians should become a citizen of the United States. It seems that the American government could never be satisfied with the policy in which was set before

    Read More

  • A Rhetorical Analysis Of Malala's Speech

    712 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Let us begin this ending. Let this end with us.” In this scenario, she portrays the same idea but in two unique ways. The idea is to end all the problems of children she represents. Similarly to her first sentence, the second sentence signifies the importance of ending the fight against war, inequality, and depravation of education.

    Read More

  • Forensic Science In The Real CSI

    841 Words  | 2 Pages

    Crime is a common public issue for people living in the inner city, but is not limited to only urban or highly populated cities as it can undoubtedly happen in small community and rural areas as well. In The Real CSI, the documentary exemplified many way in which experts used forensic science as evidence in trial cases to argue and to prove whether a person is innocent or guilty. In this paper, I explained the difference in fingerprinting technology depicted between television shows and in reality, how DNA technology change the way forensics evidence is used in the court proceedings, and how forensic evidence can be misused in the United States adversarial legal system.

    Read More

  • Miranda V. Arizona

    543 Words  | 2 Pages

    we must first fully understand what rights citizens welcome Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. What are the "Miranda" rights?

    Read More

  • Another Evening At The Club By Alifa Rifaat Summary

    728 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theme of gender oppression is greatly shown throughout the story. Making it easier for the reader to comprehend the roles that were expect of women in Egypt. This theme is greatly shown when Abboud Bey and Samia’s father are discussing wedding arrangements. Abboud asks Samia’s father “And the beautiful little girl’s still at second school? She lowered her head modestly and her father had answered:” This shows the lack of respect males have for women in their society. Viewing women merely as a pretty face, incapable of answering simple questions. This also shows that Abboud views Samia as naïve and innocent by referring to her as “little girl”. He seems to be taken by her

    Read More

  • Nursing Case Study: Patient Centered Care

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a Nurse, one can choose which area and field of work they particularly like and would enjoy working in. For example, if someone struggles dealing with babies, children or child abuse cases, it would be strongly suggested to not work in pediatrics. Working in a hospital setting, it is unsure as to what type and class of patients are going to walk in the door. As a nurse, personal values, beliefs, and morals need to be set aside when it comes to patient safety and patient centered care. All patients are treated equal regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, gender, health history or physical limitations.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Mexican America

    706 Words  | 2 Pages

    Have you ever been stripped of your heritage and treated like a foreigner in your own homeland? Hopefully not, but if you’re a Mexican American citizen then you may have an idea of what it’s like to be treated in such a manner. For many years, what is now considered to be the Southwest United States, was owned and inhabited my Mexican citizens. These people had lived on this land for generations, many making a living raising cattle and cultivating the land. However, due to Mexico’s loss in a in the Mexican American War, the country was forced to give approximately half of its land to the United States. According to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the inhabitants of the newly acquired land were to become citizens of the United States, and were

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Models Of Prisons

    728 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the United States, there are about 500 prisoners for every 100,000 residents. So, it is no surprise that our country has the highest incarceration rate in the world. In my opinion, this statistic would be lower if the prisons were tougher, making the prisoners scared to come back. The punishments used in our country’s prisons today are far more lenient than they used to be. In this paper, I will discuss what prison should be like, the goals of prison, and the differences between two American prison models (Pennsylvania and Auburn) and their benefits and drawbacks. This paper will also explain which model was more successful and why.

    Read More

  • Miranda Vs. Arizona

    211 Words  | 1 Pages

    Even though Miranda did confess under police questioning, he was never informed of his right to an attorney or his right to remain silent. Miranda was eventually convicted and sentenced but he appealed to the Supreme Court in 1966 declaring that his owning up to the crime was unconstitutional.

    Read More

  • Essay On Miranda V Arizona

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Supreme Court of the United States in a 5-4 ruling decided in favor of Miranda. The Supreme Court felt that since an interrogation is a very intimidating spot to be on the suspect 's rights are automatically triggered. This includes the fifth amendment and the the sixth amendment which entitles a person to an attorney. They claimed that undoubtedly the fifth amendment is a privilege. Along with this case they also settled four other cases that were similarly close

    Read More

  • The Benefit Of Vaccination

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    Experts agree that immunization is a big part of staying healthy and is considered one of the most tremendous public health accomplishments of the 20th century (Immunize for Good). According to the Immunize for Good Organization in Colorado, “In one year, vaccines prevent more than 8,500 child hospitalizations in Colorado, 33 thousand deaths in U.S., and between two and three million deaths worldwide.” “Nationally, 91.5 percent of children ages nineteen to thirty five months received at least one does of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in 2014” (Cleveland.com). These statistics alone portray that vaccinations are key to keeping not only one person individually healthy but everyone around healthy as

    Read More

  • Ethics Of Care Case Study

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is not the same focus on compassion and emotions that would be found with the ethics of care. The authors conclude that the ethics of justice contain three concepts; “principles, purpose, and results” (p.126). Rawls (2009) agrees and adds that the major components of justice theory are equity, objectivity, and neutrality. The idea that justice should be fair to all those involved, which creates a system where there should be consistent ethical decisions appears to be a guiding concept of justice. Rawls (2009) would contend that through the theory of justice that there is a social contract. The theory values people as free, rational, and autonomous. The focus on the ethics of justice is on rights, laws, fairness, and equity. The terms of the contract would agree in principle that each person would act according to their own personal

    Read More

  • Analysis of Importance of Being Earnest

    544 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jack has been lonely without the knowledge of his parents and when he gets a hint of what might be a reality, he lights up like a Christmas tree without acknowledging that it might turn out to be false.

    Read More

  • Surveillance and Privacy Issues

    1006 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, government agencies, especially in America, continue to lobby for increased surveillance capabilities, particularly as technologies change and move in the direction of social media. Communications surveillance has extended to Internet and digital communications. law enforcement agencies, like the NSA, have required internet providers and telecommunications companies to monitor users’ traffic. Many of these activities are performed under ambiguous legal basis and remain unknown to the general public, although the media’s recent preoccupation with these surveillance and privacy issues is a setting a trending agenda.

    Read More

  • Privacy

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    Richards, N. (2013). The Dangers of Surveillance. Harvard Law Review, 126 Retrieved from: http://harvardlawreview.org/2013/05/the-dangers-of-surveillance/ [Accessed: 2 Apr 2014].

    Read More

More about Technology, Criminal Investigations, and Ethics

Open Document