Impact of Technology on Investigation

Impact of Technology on Investigation

Technologies today have a major impact on our lives. They are influencing the way the world lives, the way businesses are run, the way the world communicates, the way criminals use it for their nefarious ends and the way the law enforcement agencies the world over try to be one up on the criminals to make the society a safer place. In more ways than one, rapidly changing technology is acting as a force multiplier and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of all areas that it is able to influence.

Technology is being used by criminals the world over to further their illegal enterprises. They have moved further from using mobile and sat-phones and are today successfully using social media, encrypted communication and also satellite imagery to further their illegal objectives. The law enforcement agencies are also not too far behind. They are using cellular phones, smart computers and software and other sophisticated equipment’s and technology to gather counter-intelligence and bring the criminals to the book.

Technology per se does not solve crimes. It only provides a medium to do our jobs more effectively and logically. Technology today is able to collect, collate and  filter big data very quickly which makes it easier to short list and identify possible suspects in a short span of time. Technology has also made police working environment more predictable and safer. It has also facilitated to make the lives of the common man safer than ever before. However on the flip side, the police and the people often use technology beyond its intended use. And it is this unanticipated domain which makes people doubt technology and bring forth adverse public opinion.

Today globalization and modernization have posed serious challenges to the society. Anonymity in cyberspace, geographical boundaries having no meaning in the computer world and availability of huge databases are elements which have attracted the cyber- criminal to this hugely networked world. Computer hacking and stealing of personal data have become lucrative. Personal data at hand can lead to exploitation of data, misuse of data or even buying/ selling of data. Cross border crimes as money laundering, drugs/ arms peddling and even terrorism have posed serious challenges to police agencies all over the world. Absence of any ‘International Internet police’ and each country trying to safeguard its own interests has only further aggravated the problem.

Technology today is being used actively to have better command and control of police operations, it is being used for more- informed decision taking, to improve transparency and accountability in working and to have better information sharing across different organisations. Technology is being used efficiently to ensure standardized quality training of personnel over long distances also.

In criminal investigations, availability of large information in servers, readily available databases, ensuring confidentiality of information in Cloud, using available satellite imagery in public domain and on requisition and scouting for illegal activities on the dark web can bring forth a lot of useful criminal intelligence. In law and order situations usage of Drones, wearable body cameras and in-car cameras can go a long way in making police action more transparent, credible and bring in incontrovertible evidence on record. In stealth jungle operations too, technology has played a very useful role. Encrypted communications and satellite locators have made operations safer and more predictable for the forces. Making the lives of common citizens safe, ensuring that police working is also safer than before and being easily able to collect credible evidence on record are some of the major reasons why usage of such technology has become popular with police agencies in India.

New technologies are indeed impacting the working of police in a major way today. It is therefore essential that the department and its people keep abreast with the current with ongoing technological developments. The people must not only be aware of the changing scenario but also understand the ultimate usefulness and the pitfalls associated  with the technology being incorporated. These technologies can go a long way in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the force and makes lives safer for all. Using new technologies can also be a great motivator for the people in the force. They will use state-of-the-art equipment which will certainly boost their morale and also show that the Government is indeed concerned about making the society a safer place.

(Published in BPRD Compendium- Promoting Good Practices and Standards- Aug '16  / Abstract of Presentation made in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on occasion of “First National Conference of Investigating Agencies” organised by BPRD – 12^th Aug 2016 )  

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