Emerging Technologies - Essay Example

Here, it becomes possible to document, store, maintain, access and share information in just a blink of an eye. As names, cases, profiles, offenses, fingerprints and other data are entered into a digital library, they can be accessed by law enforcers through networked computer terminals, regardless of location and time. Furthermore, computing technology provides for intelligent applications that could classify information into an organized database - a feat that could take years and huge manpower to accomplish.

Specific technologies that are increasingly being utilized today especially for solving cold cases include the DNA technology and the advanced DNA database systems. This partnership resulted in the establishment of the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) - a computer network that links the forensic DNA laboratories on all levels from local, state to the federal level. The capability of the CODIS is astounding. In the event a DNA profile is extracted from a crime scene and entered into the database, the system automatically launches a search among thousands of criminal profiles for possible match.

Law enforcers have been successful using CODIS. For instance, there was the case of rape with murder in Austin, which could have left unsolved because there were no witnesses and the killer-rapist used gloves and condom during the assault. What happened was that, when he tied his victim, he had to grab an end of the cord with his mouth, so his saliva was deposited and eventually examined, leading to the identification of the perpetrator and the successful prosecution. (Justice Department, p. 2) There are also the softwares called “data mining” applications.

Many police investigators are increasingly using this technology to identify the crime patterns that matches them to potential suspects. This is being done by analyzing the behavioral patterns of criminals that allows for the profiling of suspects, helpful in recognizing the identification of suspects that matches the computer’s working profile. Siegel also cited the use of computerized imaging systems that gradually replace mug books as well as the use of three-dimensional drawings in investigating and evaluating crime scenes.

This latter is important because it enables investigators to visualize positional relationship of evidences. Cybercrime Computing technology, however, could prove to be a double-edged sword. The sophistication it offers to law enforcers is also made available to criminals. For example, when information is stored in a centralized database, the ease of access can benefit those who want to exploit information for criminal purposes. For example, a criminal can use the technology to embezzle funds or modify information that could lead to the wrong apprehension of criminals or tamper with evidence.

Information technology can also enable criminals to kill people through the tampering of medical records that could result in wrong diagnosis or treatment. Then, there are those cases that involve theft of trade secret, financial reports, sensitive information, and so on. Clearly, one sees how the list of computer-aided crimes is growing as well. Another important problem that technology poses for law enforcers is the internationalization of crime. Through the networked computer terminals, criminals can operate globally without any difficulty, with the ease of