Criminology in the Future: Positive and Negative Technology Affects

Criminology in the Future
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Criminology in the Future
Technology affects the criminology sector both positively and negatively. On the negative side, it arms the criminals with new weapons, enabling them to conduct massive destruction in the society. On the other hand, technology provides the criminology department and the police agencies with the knowledge and power useful to fight crime. Technology is a key aspect in criminology and shapes every aspect of the discipline. During the past years, technology such as the use of radios, telegraph, automobile, and the telephone was applied in the sector. More advanced and sophisticated technology is being applied in today's contemporary world. The technologies include the use of biometrics, computer databases, video surveillance, cellular communication modes, electronic eavesdropping, law enforcement vehicles and the use of non-lethal weapons like tasers among other forms of expertise. Technology enhances the safety of the law enforcement officers and aids in both crime prevention and fighting. With the improvement in technology experienced today, the future of criminology in fighting the criminal activities remains bright.
The fourth amendment of the American Constitution protects the citizens against any form of unreasonable seizures and searches. However, the constitution does not address the issue of electronic documents. With the advanced technology, the criminology sector can access the data of the criminal online. The issue results in an ethical argument as to whether the technology leads to a breach of the guidelines provided in the constitution. Despite the controversies that arise due to the development of technology, it is clear that the advancement has a key role in improving the tactics used by the police and defense sectors to fight crimes. The role of technology in the fight against crime cannot be underestimated.
With the development of technology, specific crime fighting methodologies such as the use of the biometrics, cybercrime spyware and DNA to trace the criminal and access to the information related to the offenders will be made possible. Biometrics have been in use in the criminal investigation department since in the earlier days. The technology identifies the physiological and the anatomical characteristics that are used to identify an individual. The technology is used by the FBI department to authentic the identity of an individual. With the advancement of the databases used to store the criminal records, the functioning of the biometric machines is likely to improve in the future. The criminology department continues to look for new scientific and technological advancements to expand the capabilities of biometric identification. Several initiatives like identification of individuals through biometric facial recognition and the use of palms among other ways have also been implemented and are undergoing further development. The use of DNA to identify an individual is another strategy adopted by the department due to the improvement in technology.
Cybercrime spyware is another form of technology that is likely to shape the future of criminology. The practice involves hacking the electronic information of the offe...