As North American citizens, many of us go about our days peacefully, moving from home to work and back again, hardly recognizing what it takes, behind the scenes, to keep us safe.
Police officers, security guards and all those law enforcement heroes keep a watchful eye and face the dangers we hardly need to think about. They undoubtedly deserve all the crime-fighting gadgets and latest tech to empower them to do their job, and keep us sleeping with both eyes closed, that they can get. And as our tech-savvy advances, our officers and guards are given the unprecedented tools required to crack down on criminal activity.
If you’re looking to become a police officer in Ontario, exploring how to become a security guard or how to get your police foundations diploma, this is a thrilling time to embark on this career and for professionals in the field.
Let us tell you why …
8 Crime-Fighting Technologies Empowering Law Enforcement
1. Robotics
While we’re not at the stage of replacing professionals with Robocops, having robotic, mobile units on the team helps immensely in keeping officers safe in the wake of extreme danger. From cameras that allow police officers to be in multiple places on a crime scene, and searching suspicious vehicles and homes, to detecting and disposing of bombs and suspect packages, controllable robotic technology that can climb, explore and fly will continue to advance by the billions.
2. Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR)
Using an integrated camera-based technology, where a picture of a car’s license plate is taken and the numbers and letters are processed against a known database, officers are alerted if a vehicle is stolen, or the owner wanted. ALPR can screen and record more vehicles, and more accurately, than a whole squad of officers, and keeps those professionals focused on more pressing matters.
3. Enhanced Body-Worn Cameras
We’ve indeed become aware of advancement in this technology, as we see high-profile incidents reported on the news. Video of police officers doing their job used to be rare but is becoming more mainstream. Advancement in this technology includes clearer audio, higher resolution images, wider vision and resistance to extreme temperatures.
4. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
From skills training for law enforcement that includes de-escalating potentially violent situations to responding to those with impairments or mental health issues, this technology has incredible potential.
5. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
In this electronic age, massive amounts of data are able to be collected. But with this comes the need to wade through it all and analyze, so that actionable insights can be derived. Humans simply cannot do this in a timely manner and the hours spent on this are a waste of dollars and keep officers from more crucial work. This is where AI enters in. From crunching data to crime forecasting, programmers can train computers to do in moments what officers used to find daunting. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that law enforcement will be able to be in the right place at the right time.
6. Video Doorbells
Homeowners have been installing these as a way to deter criminals and increase their feeling of safety. But these surveillance systems also aid law enforcement in their criminal investigations. It is undeniable that footage captured by video doorbells help police officers in solving more crimes and is undoubtedly having the effect homeowners were hoping for, to make a criminal think twice before targeting their home.
7. Thermal Imaging
Utilizing infrared imaging to detect heat emitted by humans and animals, thermal imaging allows law enforcement officers to get a “heat map” of an environment. From tracking the motion of suspects in the dark to rescue missions and finding a child or senior citizen in the dark or during severe weather, this technology is invaluable.
8. Handheld Detection Devices
In this day and age, law enforcement is exposed to a variety of suspicious substances that require detection and analysis before knowing the appropriate action to take. Handheld laser spectroscopy devices can reveal the chemical composition of a substance almost immediately, keeping them safe from harm, and decreasing the time they spend in the lab.
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This overview simply touches the surface of the extraordinary technology that is being developed and advanced. If you’re looking to take a police foundations course / law enforcement course, you will dive into the details of all the latest tech available and how you can utilize it to thrive in your profession.
If you’re still determining whether this career aligns with your interests, you can always take the “Anderson College Career Training Readiness Quiz”.
There are few careers more rewarding or more needed in our society. Anderson College’s Law Enforcement / Police Foundations program is a joint initiative between the Police Learning System Advisory Committee and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to establish minimum entrance standards for police services in Ontario. We’d like to help you launch your first, or next, career. Book a virtual appointment with an Admission Advisor today and let’s get you started!
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