Technological Advancement in Illinois Police Department

The Establishment of the Illinois Police Department

The establishment of Illinois police department took place in 1922. The training for these police officers took place in Illinois State Fairgrounds after which it was transferred to Springfield which is also the current field where the police conduct their trainings. The Illinois police have a wide range of roles that include physical protection to the governor and ensuring that he is transported to all his destinations. They also issue firearm licenses and also authorize the people that are to carry these firearms (Falcone 62). The sexual offender registry is also maintained by the police. This ensures that there are clear records of all the sex offences committed and the offenders. Since its formation, a number of advancements have taken place. These advancements are mainly technological in nature and have played a major role in boosting the ability of the police officers to monitor crime and also arrest and prosecute the offenders. Technological advancement has also seen the police acquire better firearms and research equipment that increase their ability to gather intelligence reports and remain ahead of the crime. The main focus of this paper is to address the technological advancements made by the Illinois police since its formation in 1922 to the present day (Nanni 12).

Technological Advancements and Policing

Every industry has experienced transformation resulting from the current technology and the police is not exceptional to these technological advancements. Through the advanced technology, the police are able to carry out investigations on the major crimes committed and can easily track and arrest the offenders. The current technology increases the levels of professionalism among the police officers since it provides a better platform through which they can easily defend the cases presented before a court of law and have the offenders punished fairly. The connection between the police officers and the people that they protect has increased gradually with the technological advancement by making it easy for the people to call the police and they make prompt response (Nanni 14).

Mobile Investigation

Mobile investigation has greatly boosted the Illinois police in that it enables them to monitor all the conversations made and the messages sent from one mobile phone to the next. The police easily make use of an interface in managing the flow of all this information which boosts their ability to track the cases and also boost the flow of the cases. The evidence produced easily flows from one section to the next and it does not require internet connection to access the evidence thus making it reliable (Sullivan and University of Central Missouri 20). Additionally, this technology ensures that the police respond faster to the crime scenes and easily gather evidence that promotes positive outcomes on the pivotal cases.

Mobile Fingerprinting

Mobile fingerprinting has gradually developed over the years where the police can take longer durations in the field with minimal requirements to travel from one point to the next. The device used by the police reads fingerprints in the shortest duration possible and has high levels of accuracy (Falcone 69). Through this technology, it is easy to track offenders easily by just accessing their identity cards and analyzing the fingerprints on the identity cards found at the crime scene. Additionally, by recording the fingerprints from the offenders, it becomes possible to easily trace their identity from the database and trace whether they could be first-time offenders or have been caught in a number of crimes before.

Social Media and Crime Prevention

The growth of social media has greatly improved the engagement between the police officers and the wider community. Through these platforms, police officers are able to raise awareness of the strategies used by various fraudsters and enable the people to remain alert at all times. Additionally, the police can track the fraudsters easily and arrest them which reduces the rates of crimes. Since most people use social media, they become targets for the fraudsters who feel that they can easily convince the people on these sites. Through the close monitoring by the police, these offenders are easily tracked and their plans thwarted (Nanni 15). The public can use the various pages provided by the police officers in reporting crime after which investigations are launched and offenders prosecuted. Police officers update various strategies that help in fighting crime in the society making the social media a useful site for education, crime reporting, and prevention.

Body Cameras and Videos

Body cameras and videos placed inside the cars form one of the technological advancements that has greatly promoted the operations carried out by the Illinois police. Through these security cameras, there are higher levels of accountability among the police officers and they have an improved ability to evade the violent sites that could otherwise put them at risk of attacks from armed robbers or attacks from the public (Hutton, et al. 55). Through the help of these body cameras, the police are also able to increase the levels of monitoring even without their uniforms and can gather vital information that could otherwise become a security threat. The officers in the offices are easily able to monitor the other officers in the field and all their actions and movements, which maintains high reputation among the police officers since they cannot engage in unlawful activities. The public view of the police has greatly improved since the police lack the mandate to harass the offenders but rather treat them politely after which they are arrested and prosecuted. The police officers also perform their duties diligently since there is someone monitoring their actions and they will have to be answerable anytime they are caught on the wrong side of the law (Sullivan and University of Central Missouri 26).

Mobile Devices for Policing

Police have access to a number of mobile devices that include laptops and tablets. In most cases, these gadgets are used in the expedition of traffic stops. The main reason for the introduction of these devices to the police officers is to increase their mobility levels. Additionally, the police can easily cover the incidences at any place and send the information to the central offices for action. The devices also act as a great and reliable form of communication for the officers in most places where they can seek reinforcement during a disaster or crime (Falcone 73). The officers easily record all the happenings and this acts as a great source of evidence that they can use before a court of law in defending the cases presented. The devices also reduce the workload for the officers in that they easily send all the required information without having to go back to the office and compile a report on all the events that took place during the day. Various applications installed on the devices used by the police enable them to promptly respond to crimes even without requiring internet connectivity. Such applications help in reducing the negative outcomes in society through the prompt reporting of such cases.

Advancements in Firearms and Training

Firearms used by the police officers have gradually improved over the years. Compared to when the Illinois police department was set up and the current position of the police service, there is a significant improvement in the quality of the firearms that the police officers use. This development has increased their ability to handle violent robberies and also reduce attacks that could possibly take place due to a weakened security system. The training offered to the officers has also increased in intensity and skills (Hutton, et al. 65). The present-day training offered to the officers has undergone modifications to suit the current security needs. The officers receive quality training in quelling violence, carrying out investigations, prosecuting the cases, and also effectively associating with the public. Unlike before where the police officers were feared by the public, the present-day police officers have high levels of connection with the public. Through the advanced levels of public relations, it becomes easy for the public to serve the police with information on potential crimes and also reveal the identities of the wanted persons. The quality of services offered to the public by the police has advanced over the years, and the gradual transformation of the police from a force to a service has made it possible to effectively assist the public rather than focusing on arrests (Sullivan and University of Central Missouri 30).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Illinois police have undergone a wide range of advancements, with most of them being technological in nature. Technology in gathering evidence, reporting crimes, and educating the public has characterized the advancements. The relationship between the police and the public has also improved as a result of the technological advancements within the police service.

Works Cited

Falcone, D. N. “The Illinois State Police as an Archetypal Model.”Police Quarterly, vol. 1, no. 3, 2013, pp. 61-83, doi:10.1177/109861119800100305.

Hutton, G., et al. “The Police and the Policing Family.”Blackstone’s Police Manual Volume 4: General Police Duties 2017, 2016, pp, 45-61 doi:10.1093/law/9780198783084.003.0001.

Nanni, M. “Advancements in Mobility Data Analysis.”Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2018, pp. 11-16, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-75608-0_2.

Sullivan, T. B., and University of Central Missouri. The advancements of technology in less than lethal weapons and their effect on police tactics and policy implications. 2009, pp, 20-36