NCJ Number
144661
Date Published
1993
Length
132 pages
Annotation
This study examines the future form and impact of law enforcement telecommunications, specifically the potential of broadband interactive multimedia.
Abstract
So as to prepare a law enforcement agency to be a functional entity in the Information Age with full capability of exploiting the newest technologies, such as interactive multimedia, in the next 10 years, the agency must change its cultural focus, job descriptions, evaluation mechanisms, and training emphasis to reflect the increased role of advanced technology. It must also obtain a more appropriate balance between traditional physical- intervention activities and the expanding use of communications and information management as a police tool, as well as reexamine organizational structure in the context of changes in internal communications and information management systems. First, the multimedia police department (MPD) must establish a proactive posture towards new technological development and commit appropriate resources to the development of all employees' ability to comprehend, appreciate, and apply state-of-the-art technology and recognize its future potentialities. Next, the MPD must maximize the use of new communications and information technologies to mitigate costs and facilitate service delivery. Finally, in recognition that the new and emerging communications and information management technologies can be used for criminal purposes, the agency must identify real and potential abuses of this technology and establish mechanisms for the prevention and suppression of those abuses both inside and outside the organization. A transition management structure for achieving these goals is profiled. 5 tables, 21 graphs, 7 charts, 23 notes, and a 165-item bibliography