Technology and Communication
CJA/304
June 17, 2013
Kenneth Salmon
Technology and Communication
Police agencies and police officers have information at their fingertips with the advancement of technology. Some of these advancements identified and discussed to give a better understanding of the impact of these advancements, both positive, and negative, on the criminal justice system.
In order for officers to retrieve information and file reports more quickly, mobile data terminals (MDT) are found in almost every police car today. There are three major advantages of the MDT system. First, is the security of radio transmissions, which prevent scanners from intercepting police officer’s transmissions. The second advantage is the communications center is better able to manage workload. The third advantage is greater efficiency and time management because operational data is put together for later analysis. The MDT assists officers in the following areas.
Information related to dispatches, such as information on traffic stops, other units, other complaints, and incident location. This sometimes includes map displays, requests for information, including names, vehicles, addresses, property, offenses, and requests to local, county, state, and federal databases. Administrative updates are to include officer scheduling, filed reports, transmitting mobile reports, approval requests from supervisors, and booking photos of subjects. Instant messaging transmissions available to any other user of the MDT system to whom it is addressed. Departmental e-mail is also sometimes available (Moblie Data Terminal (MDT), 2013).
As much as the MDT is beneficial, as with everything, there is a downside. Because of systems like the MDT are structured alongside radios, video cameras, laptop computers, and other necessary things officer have in his or hee vehicles. It is necessary to spend more money on larger vehicles, which is a bigger burden on the taxpayers...