In a recent article on Ars Technica, senior editor Nate Anderson described the evolution of crime and punishment, and the role of technology. He begins by proposing a scenario in which a detective must solve an axe murder. First, he describes what would happen in a 19th-century Russian novel, in which the detective would have to play a series of complicated mind games with the suspect until he finally cracks and turns himself in. He then compares this process to what would happen in the 21st century. Today, he says, police need only turn to databases, mash-ups, maps, and the Internet to solve crimes.
Technology has long been key in criminal investigations. Anyone can report criminal activity to the FBI using an online form, which replaced paper and phone submissions some time ago. Anderson however, finds recent developments in crime-fighting technologies much more promising. He describes a new system called MassGangs, being implemented in Massachusetts. The software, funded by a $1.2 million Department of Justice grant, uses photos of tattoos and facial recognition to store information about suspected gang members. Cops, prison officials, and FBI agents from across the state can access and enter MassGangs data in real time.
Anderson points out that not everyone is satisfied with the new system, citing a comment on the Boston Globe article that reads, “Its comforting to see that the police are discovering the newfangled technology thing called the 'COMPUTER' at last. have they been using pencils and paper all this time? That they are just NOW doing this is PITIFUL.”
Massachusetts authorities hope to revolutionize crime-solving using their own creation, but some organizations are trying to achieve the same effect simply by remixing existing technologies. For example, the Metropolitan Police Department in London recently introduced a mash-up of Google Maps and its own crime data. The application keeps track of crime rates, including burglaries, robberies, and vehicle crimes, and displays them on a map of London. Users can access extensive data for multiple levels on the map, beginning with the borough level, then the ward level, and finally the sub-ward level which has the most detailed information.
Canadian police have gone a step further in providing easy access to crime statistics. The Toronto Police Homicide Squad posted its entire database of homicide information online last month, including unsolved current and cold cases. Each entry includes documents from a case, along with maps, crime scene photos, and even YouTube videos of pleas from the victim’s family. The website includes a form where users can submit tips about cases in the database.
If it seems like these technologies give police an unfair advantage in fighting crimes committed by ordinary people, not to worry. Opponents of law enforcement can be just as innovative when it comes to crime-related technology. Njection’s “Speedtrap Mashup” builds upon Microsoft's Visual Earth to map police speed traps across the globe.
I think all of these inventions are very compelling. MassGangs is a clever idea because it targets gang members using something that is very common among gangs: tattoos. The criticism of The Boston Globe’s article is what’s truly “pitiful.” I doubt police jumped right from “pencils and paper” to complex software like MassGangs. The commenter makes the ridiculous assumption that just because authorities have made this advancement, it’s the first time they’ve used technology in any form. If this person is not happy with the rate at which crime-fighting technology is progressing, maybe he or she should try doing what people like the creators of MassGangs do.
After reports that Google Earth was used by terrorists in the India attacks, which Ryan covered in a blog earlier this week, it’s encouraging to see a similar program being put to good use by the London police.
I'm not sure why more law enforcement agencies don’t provide public crime databases like that of the Toronto police department. Why have just a few detectives working on a case when you could give people all around the world the same resources?
I even like the idea of creations like the speed trap mash-up. Police aren’t always right, and they should know that they’re not the only ones willing to use technology to pursue justice.
Source: Crime and Punishment 2.0: fighting criminals with the 'Net
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