NCJ Number
160517
Date Published
1995
Length
307 pages
Annotation
This collection reprints the presentations and discussions at the BKA Workshop for Criminal Technology and Criminalistics on November 8 to 11, 1994.
Abstract
Twenty-five specialists from Germany and a guest speaker from the Netherlands explained how technology has improved police work in numerous areas such as the securing of evidence; the detection of drugs, weapons, explosives, and environmental pollutants; and the prevention of crime through technical security systems and alarm devices. Data processing has made possible the digital enhancement of images, the automatic comparison of evidence such as writing samples and texts, the expansion and refinement of police data banks, and improved international police collaboration. The presenters also stressed how the growing number of crimes and the emphasis on circumstantial evidence in the courts necessitate the use of sophisticated technologies. To enhance the theoretical presentations, specialists also demonstrated new technology devices: x-ray technology for the detection of drugs, computer aided speaker identification, an automated system for identifying fingerprints, and photography mapping of crime scenes.