How Technology Helps Law Enforcement in Australia
Law enforcement is always stretched to capacity, trying to solve cases and process charges, and thanks to emerging technology, their job has become a little easier. In this short blog, we highlight some of the ways the police use technology.
Drug Testing
The saliva drug test is the latest arrival, and you can get an instant readout for any of the major Class A drugs. Blood testing is another way, although it takes time and is costly, whereas saliva tests are cheap, accurate and simple to administer. If officers can administer a drug test on site and get an accurate readout in seconds, this is ideal.
DNA Testing
Many crimes are solved by DNA tracking; when DNA is retrieved from the crime scene, it is put into the National DNA Database, and if a match comes up, this is enough evidence to charge the person. In the event the target DNA is not matched, the police must somehow obtain a sample and compare it. This could come from a cigarette butt, a drinking straw, a cup or even a discarded tissue paper. There have been cases that were unsolved for 30 years, then the investigators find a DNA match, and they arrest and interrogate the suspect.
Fingerprinting Technology
Forensic scientists use fingerprint kits that can lift prints from all types of surfaces, which helps to solve crimes. There are also UV devices that show fingerprints clearly. Many crimes are not planned, and the perpetrator forgets about fingerprints; everything they touch leaves an identifiable mark.
CCTV Footage
Almost every home and business has CCTV cameras, and these can help the police to track a person, which can either eliminate them from the investigation or point to their involvement. A person, whether on foot or in a car, can be tracked across a city with the help of video surveillance, which is one of the first things the investigators would turn to at the scene of the crime.
Criminal Databases
These are now hooked up so police forces can share and access data outside of their jurisdiction to help them with a case. Fingerprint and DNA databases can be accessed by law enforcement in their hunt for perpetrators. Blockchain technology enables this data to be securely stored, and global access is enabled.
Blood Detection
Certain compounds can be used to reveal tiny blood splatters at the scene of a crime, which can help detectives determine direction, distance and position. This helps to prove or disprove a witness or suspect’s testimony. Often, when confronted with scientific evidence, a suspect will confess, as they understand the strength of the evidence.
As you can see, there are many different ways that technology aids law enforcement, and we feel sure that this will continue with new and innovative techniques that make crime investigation easier.
