Use technology to compensate for the fewer police officers

Washington — police, increasingly rely on controversial technology and social media to compensate for the loss of thousands of officers and other resources for deep budget cuts, law enforcement officials and criminal justice programme, analysts say. Mel Evans, AP

Some police agencies took the unusual step of exchanging investigative information in real time with private business groups to interactive websites to help stop crime.

Mel Evans, AP

Some police agencies took the unusual step of exchanging investigative information in real time with private business groups to interactive websites to help stop crime.

Some, including the city of Albuquerque, took the unusual step of exchanging investigative information in real time with private business groups to interactive websites to help stop identity theft rings, find suspects of violent crime and to track fugitives. Albuquerque model that replicates agencies in Georgia, Minnesota, Washington and California, represents a significant break with law enforcement s long-finishing the public of information on developing research, said Raymond Schultz Albuquerque Police Chief. He said networks help to compensate for the loss of approximately 60 positions in recent years, 2. that's just part of a movement arising in law enforcement trying to hold their positions s with fewer police officers, investigators and analysts on Technology you can replace the job never fully told police chief officer, Camden, New Jersey, Scott Thompson, whose 250-officer Department fell by almost half since 2006. We Re just trying to use technology ... you receive more than we are. Camden uses a combination of global positioning systems, gunshot detectors in elevated areas throughout the city and closed-circuit cameras to identify problem areas and deployment of staff in the field more effectively instead of having to wait for calls from the publicsometimes never come after installing shot spotter technology last fall, the Department learned that residents, many of which were not reported due to shots, firing at least 30% of the time especially disadvantaged neighbourhoods in computerized patrol program ensures that police cars pass through areas several times a day and even hour. If you skip a trip, e-mail alerts are in the area commander .it s all about presence, Thomson said the Austin police chief art Acevedo to various kinds of problem: employees without waiting still lagging public funding to acquire their own miniature video cameras in writing pens. about 50 employees to use the devicethat costs only $ 50, to guard against false allegations of misconduct or abuse. Acevedo supports, but this month, his staff scrambled to develop guidelines for the use of cameras to resolve potential problems of confidentiality and other issues: Sometimes public funding stream just doesn t catch up with existing technologies, Acevedo said: this month, a survey of 70 major police the police Executive Research Foruma law enforcement, Washington showed that 90% planning to increase their use of various technologies, primarily aimed at preventing crime through more effective surveillance, patrolling and response strategies. Departments are looking to technology as a force multiplier, said Chuck Wexler, Executive Director of the forum (s). They using this technology to better manage less, because simply put, We don t have enough officers isn t cutting public forum s, The survey found that 86% of some form of social media including FacebookMySpaceYouTube, Twitter, Nixle and to monitor or on the causes and potential threats, despite the fact that some police use sites at least 57% of institutions reported some problems with employees possible misuse of social media sites, according to the survey, forum s. these violations include inappropriate messages and photographs. "These are still new technology, says Nancy Kolb, who oversees the International Association of Chiefs of police Center for social media. IT s struggle for law enforcement to know how they can be used for the way In Albuquerque, Schultz said the department s information partnership with retail, banking, construction, hotel and accommodation industry some early success. Interactive Web sites that allow you to immediately deploy security personnel industry security camera photos of suspects in theft and other crimesthe 18% drop in property crime in 2010. Police use information to identify the suspects sooner and warn other members of the enterprises that may be future targets offenders Schultz said affected members can track the progress of police investigations on websites. They also receive regular information on the status of the use of technology (network security), the private sector already have, We re prosecutions., Schultz said, adding that includes up to 200 enterprises. IT has really taken off: For more information about reprint permission &, visit our FAQ. Report corrections and clarifications, contact standards editor Brent Jones. For consideration of publication in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and State to check. To view our corrections, go to corrections usatoday.com. We have updated the guidelines talk. Changes include a brief overview of the approval process and explains how to use the button "report abuse". For More Information.