Law Enforcement Technology Application, Dissemination and Training Project: Phase II Computer-Based Instructional Modules

• NCJ Number: 190410
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 100 pages
• Grant Number(s): 97-LB-VX-K020
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This final report discussed Phase II of the federally funded Advanced Technology Against Crime Project (formerly the Law Enforcement Technology Application, Dissemination and Training Project) on the development of computer-based instruction in distance learning packages to train police specialists in the use of emergent technology.

Abstract

The Advanced Technology Against Crime Project, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice Office of Science and Technology and launched in 1997 was an effort to join three intersections of emergent technology and training that included: the use of technology to enrich training; training of police to deal with emergent technology; and training of law enforcement in the employment of emergent technology. The Consortium for the Future, composed of five universities and a consulting firm, conducted the project with Sam Houston State University as the lead institution. The focus of the project also included the development of computer-based instructional modules. The modules provided an orientation to a brand new technology for law enforcement application (Global Positioning Systems), provided a carefully guided computer-based format for training officers to better collect blood evidence, and provided a computer-based module on the fundamentals of dealing with computer crime. The final report on the planning phase of the project, submitted in 1998, was included in the Appendices of the report. The Global Positioning Module was designed as a decision aid for agencies contemplating making a very substantial investment of money and time to install a GPS system. The second module, Blood Evidence Collection, was aimed at operational personnel. Designed for both patrol officers and investigators as a basic review of processes and techniques involved in locating, collecting, and preserving for laboratory analysis, blood evidence. The Computer Crime Module is a hybrid of the previous two modules. It is designed for use across all levels of ranks within a police agency. It provides guidelines for dealing with the collection of computers and peripherals that may contain evidence. Once the fundamentals of each module were introduced, the initial drafts were reviewed. Once the draft of the computer-based modules was reviewed, a conference was convened under the auspices of Ohio State University in Columbus, and law enforcement subject matter experts conducted a structured review. In conjunction with Sam Houston State University, a training needs assessment was administered to determine law enforcement agencies level of competence and perception of training needs for 100 technologies. Once produced, Sam Houston State University assumed responsibility for distribution of the three training modules. Of the three modules prepared under this project, the one that received the greatest amount of attention was Blood Evidence Collection. All three modules underwent a careful review process. Appendices A through F