Law Enforcement Technological Advancements

Law Enforcement Technological Advancements

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Law Enforcement Technological Advancements

Another cutting edge technology making its way to being used throughout United States local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies is referred to as biometrics. Biometric technology is also being utilized widely in the corporate world and in the military. This technology is essentially the automated method for recognizing a person based on his or her physiological or behavioral characteristic. These technology types are becoming the basis for an extensive range of extremely secure personal verification and identification solutions. Biometric identification is an exceptional form of technology in which several unique features can be used to positively identify a person with a relatively high degree of accuracy. This technology is a step beyond just using DNA analysis as the primary form of identification when attempting to positively identify a person whom is suspected of committing a crime (Biometrics, n.d.).

There are several different types of biometric identification technologies currently in use, such as facial recognition, voice recognition, retinal scan, iris recognition, fingerprint, signature recognition, and hand geometry. Of course with any particular type of technology in use there are advantages and disadvantages. The advantages and disadvantages as they relate to the purpose of servicing the criminal justice realm vary (Biometrics, n.d.).

With any new emerging technology there will be critics. In this case concerning biometrics there are privacy and civil liberties advocates which have expressed their concern about this widely adopted new-age practice. These advocates have become more and more vocal about the threats of the unregulated and unrestricted uses associated to the use of biometric technologies since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. There is the inherent fear of innocent people being wrongly identified as criminals, otherwise...