Back when Case Number 1 was successfully prosecuted, good investigative work was characterized by a sharp eye, an intuitive mind, a good memory, an active work style, and great interpersonal skills. Not much has changed in the ensuing 140 years.
In 2008, though, a few other things contribute to investigations. Automated fingerprint identification systems, relational databases, sophisticated communications systems, DNA testing, and the Internet all come immediately to mind. Another contributor is the rapid proliferation of video surveillance systems. As I have mentioned previously, you and I are increasingly in the field of view of a large and growing number of cameras every day.
An excellent example of the merger of modern technology and good old-fashioned police work occurred over the weekend, when Officer Jeff Hanson arrested the men responsible for an armed robbery that occurred last Thursday. The victim was approached by two suspects who brandished a gun and relieved him of his wallet, watch, and cash.
The suspects and their vehicle were captured by a surveillance camera at the University of Nebraska. Although the scene was rather dark, comparing the video to images from Edmunds.com, we were able to determine that the vehicle was in all likelihood a late 1990's Chevrolet Lumina. A representative photo of the body style was included in all of our daily gotomeeting.com web-cast roll call briefings on Thursday and Friday.
Officer Hanson saw those images on the 50" monitor across town at the Northeast Team Substation during briefing at the beginning of his shift when he reported to duty on both Thursday and Friday night. Shortly after midnight on Saturday morning, he spotted the suspect vehicle with matching passengers several miles away in northeast Lincoln. Further investigation produced more evidence connecting three suspects to this crime. This was good heads-up police work, with a little technical assistance from a CCTV system and the Internet.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
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13 comments:
If you were to make an educated guess, how many years will it be before a fingerprint can be scanned at the cruiser level, and quickly compared to a national database, (such as the IAFIS) for warrants across the nation? Would this require more wireless bandwidth than is currently available to most LE agencies, or have there recently been some improvements made in compressing the print data, or maybe reducing the quantity of data that needs to be compressed and transmitted?
I suspect that technology will be available by about 2004.
Actually, we are in the process now of acquiring and deploying (with a grant, folks, I'm not buying any Segways) a couple mobile fingerprint scanners right now.
If you've got enough money, you can buy some pretty good bandwidth. The big problem in my mind is whether you'll have the resources (that means people and money) to support increasingly complex technology when it becomes a necessity, rather than a luxury. You need technical support, R&M, replacement and upgrade programs. This support often lags due to budget cuts or inability to keep up with growth.
It's one of the reasons I've been a foot-dragger on buying more (and more sophisticated) in-car video systems--with those comes a huge need for support that we just can't service without the resources, and we can't get the resources.
As an officer, I hate to see the cruiser cams go. I think they are a very valuable tool for us in all aspects of our job.
Maybe we can get some "hat cams" although we would have to re-design our hats. Not into the bus driver look!
OOOOPS! 294 hats at $18.00 each = $5292.00. Add hat cams at $345.00each =$101,430.00 Come on chief you can find that money, Can't you?
Two words: bond issue! Considering the recent resident survey results, a law enforcement bond issue ought to pass by a landslide. It's one of the very few things for which I'll happily vote to increase my own taxes.
Hat cams aren't enough...gotta get the receiver and the recorder, then the media to record on. Sheesh...you are getting to where it is real money!
I've got your hat cam. For that matter, skip the hat.
Please let the rest of us in on the pirate thing, dont get it.
Chief, What the heck were you doing at:
www.pirate-movie-production.com
R you the real pirate tagger on your own site?
2:26-
You're me, looking for a goofy photo to spoof the previous comment. Google "hat cam" click images, select "extra large images", and you'll see where it came from.
2:11-
I'm not sure I understand it, either, but I know how it started. Back in March, I wrote a post Testing the iCrime theory. The second comment was from a reader named Chris. He had posted a message on an Apple forum about my blog post. I checked the thread, and found that someone else had posted a link to a graph implying a relationship between global warming and the demise of pirates. The graph is making fun of the tendency of some research to confuse correlation with causation--sort of the same point I was making in my post.
From there, the pirate thing took on a life of its own. One or more regular readers of The Chief's Corner figured out a way to work pirates into about all of his, her, or their comments. The humor wore off a long time ago, but I have to admit that I was laughing out loud when I looked at the pirate keyboard somebody linked in their comment in Tulips up.
perhaps this is the party responsible...
www.flickr.com/photos/dotdean/220326842/
ARRRRGH!
They make shoulder MIC camera's, that run off of a USB type of download, catches all of the video/audio of a contact.. or, we can spend the extra money on more recruits....as they are an extra eye witness when joe citizen makes the bogus complaint that results in their word vs. our word, sadly enough it usually goes in their favor....
I read that the Lumina was plateless. Was the car stolen, or did they just not register it?
Anonymous 5:21-
No plates, no registration, but not stolen.
Make a note: When you embark on your career in crime, do not draw attention to yourself by driving a plateless unregistered vehicle, or one with illegal home-made intransits. Try to blend in.
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