NCJ Number
130977
Date Published
1991
Length
66 pages
Annotation
This futures study examines the emerging trend of portable personal communications (PCS) and the potential impact on law enforcement, specifically on a medium-size California police department during the next ten years.
Abstract
The study projects beyond the current cellular technology and into the next several generations of wireless portable PCS that promise to change significantly the way society communicates. This will involve a change from calling a location to a future of direct individual-to-individual communications that will impact law enforcement. Through scenarios, this study explores the problems and opportunities that as medium-size police agency can expect to encounter. The outcome is a positive-approach strategic management plan that could enable a medium-size police agency to be in the forefront in the use of the new PCS technology. Such an aggressive approach promises to mitigate the problems and enhance opportunities to provide a safer environment for the community. Some issues to be considered in the emerging use of PCS are personal portable communications in criminal activity, constitutional and privacy issues associated with police use of PCS, secure PCS systems for law enforcement, and law enforcement's role in regulating private PCS use. 5 tables and an 8-item bibliography