CHAPTER III

APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN POLICE

3.1 Introduction
3.2 Meaning of Technology
3.3 New Technology
3.4 Historical background of Technologies in Policing
3.4 (a)Need and Emergence of New Technologies
3.5 Latest Technological Developments in Policing
3.5 (a) Hard Technologies
3.5 (b) Soft Technologies
3.6 New Technologies Adopted by Chandigarh Police
3.7 Conclusion

8
3.1 Introduction
Technology has transformed the expression of society, and its effects are apparent on
all organs of society with no exception on the form and function of policing. Transformation
in social customs and technological advancements and the confront realities of crime control
are giving rise to new forms of crime. In order to address the changing pattern of society
police had to adopt new technologies. In response to the changing conditions of society
which are brought by new technological developments, policing agencies also need to
adopted technological advance gadgets in order to accomplish their objectives of crime
prevention, detection and law and order maintenance.
Technology has not only facilitated transformation of police within the respective
nations, but has also facilitated international police cooperation. The technological
advancements in communications and transportation has enabled international cooperation
between policing organizations to address the new forms of crime. Harnessing new forms of
technology would become a constant theme in the efforts of international police
organisations. With new initiatives for the advancement of the means for nations to exchange
information on criminals, suspects, and new means of policing140. Police gained a greater
level of technical superiority in the course of pursuing their organizational goals as the means
of crime control in technical respects141.
Throughout the history, mankind has reaped great rewards from on-going
technological progress. New technologies bring with them tremendous benefits that include
advances in the standard of living, increases the human lifespan and prosperity unimagined in
previous eras. At the same time they pose serious questions for and about humanity; and also
create significant potential dangers that have to be addressed. The dangers as well as the
benefits associated with the emergence of powerful new technologies need to be weighed for
a safe and stable future of the human race142.
The emergence of tools of modern technologies are rapidly transforming the way
citizens interact, not only with each other but also with private businesses, public service
utilities and government institutions. Traditionally, citizens went to government office to
transact with government, whether to get a certificate, apply/ renew a passport/driving licence

140
Deflem, Mathieu and Stephen Chicoine (2014), “History of Technology in Policing", in Encyclopaedia of
Criminology and Criminal Justice, edited by Gerben Bruinsma and David Weisburd. Berlin: Springer, pp. 2269-
77.
141
Ibid.
142
Suman Kapur (2008), “Law Enforcement and Emerging Technology”, A paper presented at 38th All India
Police Science Congress, on 28-29th January, in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

9
or to pay utility bills. However, the usage of Information and Communications Technologies
(ICTs) has made it easy and possible for the same interaction to take place in a service centre
which is close to the citizen and can be through Internet also.
It has also been pointed out in the Fourth Report of the Second Administrative
Reforms Commission entitled Ethics in Governance143, “The relationship of the government
with its constituents, citizens and businesses, and also between its own organs can be
transformed through the use of the tools of modern technology such as Information and
Communication Technology (ICT). The digital revolution has the potential to transform and
redefine processes and systems of governance. The most visible impact has been in access to
information and data, in building management information systems and in the field of
electronic service delivery. E-Governance is the logical next step in systems of governance in
order to ensure wider participation and deeper involvement of citizens, institutions, civil
society groups and the private sector in the decision making process of governance.”
New technologies can play a pivotal role in transforming the police force from being
an oppressive agency of the government to an agency which first and foremost exists to
protect the lives and liberty of the common citizens. Keeping its importance in mind the
National e-Governance Programme (NeGP) has been approved on 18th May 2006 comprising
of 27 Mission Mode Projects including one for police and the other for judiciary (e-
Courts)144.
The police have always been recognised as a vital arm of the state whether in ancient
times, during the British period or even today. Of the various duties enjoined upon the State,
the foremost duty is to maintain public order and preserve the rule of law. It is one of the
most important pillars of good governance as the collapse of public order and rule of law can
erode the faith of the citizens in their government and erode its legitimacy. Earlier the job of
the police was to maintain law and order and establish the sovereignty of the state. In recent
times accelerating economic and social changes accompanied by increasing globalisation and
the communications revolution have put enormous pressure on peace and social harmony
threatening to disrupt the social fabric. In such times the police force has to face
unprecedented challenges. As India transitions into the new world economy a number of
factors are operating to make traditional ways of policing obsolete. In addition to traditional
societal problems like crime, mob violence, civil disturbances, terrorism, insurgency, etc.

143
Fourth Report of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission entitled “Ethics in Governance”
available at http://arc.gov.in/4threport.pdf accessed on 21st January 2013.
144
http://india.gov.in/e-governance/national-e-governance-plan accessed on 12th April 2015.

10
new forms like cyber crime, internationally funded terrorism spanning continents,
international crime syndicates, etc. are emerging145. E-mail, internet and cellular services
have made illegal transaction more and more difficult to trace and increases the workload of
police also. This has posed new challenges146 to the police force to cope up with the changing
scenario. Now, it has become necessary for the police, to not only equip properly to combat
criminals, but also need to use new technology as efficiently and effectively as possible147.

3.2 Meaning of Technology

The rapid advance in scientific knowledge and applications owes much to a research
culture in which knowledge and biological materials are shared and equally available to
scientists and non-scientists. Technology is defined differently by different scholars as the
application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes148, the application of scientific
advances to benefit humanity149, application of knowledge to meet the wants of people150.
Technology is considered as “specific information necessary for the ‘development,’
‘production,’ or ‘use’ of a product”151. Technology involves more than just products; it also
encompasses a means to produce and use products in a way as to solve a problem.
Thus, technology comprises of the ability to:
 recognize technical problems,
 develop new concepts and tangible solutions to these problems, and
 Exploit the concepts and tangibles in an effective way to solve technical problems.
Additionally, technology is a human innovation in action, it involves the generation of
knowledge and processes to develop systems that solve problems and extend human
capabilities152.

145
“Role of ICT in Police Force in India” by Dr. Vikesh Sethi in International Journal of Advanced Research
in Computer Science and Software Engineering available at http://www.ijarcsse.com/docs/papers
Volume_3/11_November2013/V3I11-0122.pdf accessed on 30th March 2014.
146
The foremost objective of the police is to protect the society by preventing crime and prosecuting criminals.
Other functions of police such as preservation of the nation’s unity and integrity, maintenance of public order
and implementation of social laws flow from the foremost and main objective. With the changing circumstances
in society i.e. social, economical and political changes, the priorities of the police are also changing.
147
Dr. Jaswinder Kaur & Namit Kumar (2011), “Technology-Driven-Policing: A Study of Chandigarh
Police”, in “Panjab University Research Journal (Arts)”, April-October, Vol. XXXVIII, Nos. 1&2, p. 161-70.
148
www.wikipeadia.com accessed on 07th January 2010.
149
www.sin.fi.com accessed on 07th January 2010.
150
www.economicadventure.org accessed on 07th January 2010.
151
Suman Kapur (2008), Law Enforcement and Emerging Technology, A Paper presented at 38th All India
Police Science Congress, on 28-29th January, in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
152
www.insme.org accessed on 07th January 2010.

11
 In a knowledge-based society a dynamic and open national and international research
enterprise is a must for the potential of extraordinary basic and technological achievements at
the multiple centres of excellence, worldwide. From time immemorial every major
technology, viz., metallurgy, explosives, internal combustion, aviation, electronics, nuclear
energy has been intensively exploited, not only for peaceful purposes but also for hostile
ones.

3.3 New Technology

The development of simple tools from wood or shards of rock and the discovery of
fire, which provided a way to cook food and create heat and light, was technological
developments which allowed people to accomplish tasks more easily and quickly
machines153. An example of technology was when the first knife or shovel was made from a
piece of stone or obsidian. The invention of the wheel allowed people greater ability to travel
and communicate. The ability to work with harder metals than copper and tin, to smelt iron,
and to be able to remove iron from ore allowed for rapid increases in weapons making,
brought the development of tools that benefit civilization and gave greater ability to perform
tasks, such as manufacturing and transportation. Computers and the Interne t gave the ability
to perform basic thinking processes much faster enables business, science and commerce to
proceed much more efficiently. Ultra sound, MRI, CAT scans and other forms of nuclear
imaging allowed doctors to see inside the human body using a blending of medical
technology, nuclear technology and computer technology154.
As technologies are defined earlier is the application of scientific advances to benefit
humanity155. The proposed study deals with new technologies which mean the latest
advancement in the existing technologies, i.e. the previous ones are replaced by the advanced
ones. For example: (a) earlier, police use balloon system to test whether the person is drunken
or not but now they use the advanced version known as “Alcosensor” for checking this. So,
alcosensor is termed as new technology; (b) earlier, radars were used for checking the speed
of a vehicle but now the new technology used for this i.e. Radio Frequency system, thus it is
termed as new technology.

153
Subodh Johri, Kapil Garg & Sachin Mittal (2008), Futuristic Technologies for Police, A Paper presented at
38th All India Police Science Congress, on 28-29th January, in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
154
http://www.yourdictionary.com/technology accessed on 12th April 2015.
155
www.sin.fi.com accessed on 07th January 2010.

12
 Police have seen the gradual end of one period where for many years they had full
control over their field of action; and entered to a period where three new factors are
observed simultaneously: technology-based criminal activity that has none of the
characteristics of traditional crime, new high-performance working tools that require very
specialized training for their use; and a stronger articulation by the public at large as to the
role they wish the police to play within their environment.
To fulfil the popular aspirations of the citizens, new technology is of great help in
fighting against traditional crime. Intelligent cameras can detect suspicious behaviour,
sensors can detect weapons from a distance and broadband can create a desk in the patrol car.
But, at the same time new technology have led to new criminality156. Science and Technology
have been important tools in the fight against crime for many years. However, as the
criminals become more aware technologically, it becomes vital for the police service to not
only properly equipped to combat this new strain of criminals but that the tools they use are
as effective and efficient as possible.

3.4 Historical Background of Technologies in Policing

As reported by Chief Francis O'Neill of the Chicago Police Department in 1903:
"Those were desperate times for policemen in a hostile country with unpaved
streets and uneven sidewalks, sometimes miles from the police station, with
little prospects of assistance in case of need.... It took nerve to be a policeman
in those days"157 .
Early forms of policing bear only partial likeness to modern-day law enforcement.
The police were essentially isolated while on patrolling, and the police station was unable to
communicate with the police personnel while they were on patrolling. As a result, the station
could not coordinate and direct its officers on the streets, the officers could not report on
situations on the streets until they returned, nor ask for assistance. Citizens were likewise
limited in their access to police assistance unless they lived within walking distance to the
station or until they could find an officer along his route. Several technological advancements
were pursued and instituted in the efforts to facilitate communications between the police, the
citizenry and the station.

156
www.newpolicetechnology.com accessed on 02nd January 2010.
157
Techinical Report prepared for The National Committee on Criminal Justice Technology, National Institute
of Justice Technology, The Evolution and Development of Police Technology (1998), Seaskate Inc.
Washington, DC.

13
 The developments in the history of police and technology have been largely
influenced by the changing conditions that the new technologies created, as well as the
bureaucratic drive of the police towards adopting standards of efficiency in policing. The
advances in technology facilitated the development of the institutional autonomy of police
institutions from politics, since the development of communications technology lead to
greater reporting to headquarters and thereby created superior professional officers instead of
politically loyal servants.
In pre-modern times variable social conditions influenced the adoption of
technologies among police across countries. There was no issue in criminal identification
since the size of the communities virtually ensured that everyone knew everyone else. As
societies expanded and geographic mobility increased due to advances in transportation
technology, such as the train, it became easier for criminals to hide from their previous
history by moving to a different area or even by merely adopting a different name. Problems
with linking criminals to their previous convictions became particularly problematic when,
during the 1850s, a movement towards harsher punishments for reoffenders began. Two
central problems faced the courts and law enforcement officials attempting to link a suspect
with a criminal past: the ability to access the information stored, and the ability to positively
identify a reoffender or other suspect.
Technological changes have occurred for the better part of a century, tracing back to,
at least, the early 19th century, when law enforcement meant a local sheriff, with just a gun
and a sheriff badge, and the town posse. Law enforcement in those days was a dangerous
business. History of technology in policing can be divided into three eras, the Political Era,
the Professional Model, and the Community Policing Era, which is the system we operate
today. In all three eras, there were significant advancement in police technology.
The Political Era: By 1903, police were patrolling unpaved streets, and uneven
sidewalks, on foot and horseback. This was during the Political Era, which started in 1840
and lasts until 1920 and is signified by the close relationship with politics and law
enforcement during this time. During this era, though police made technology advancements
in guns, they still used police nightstick for patrolling. General technology of the era began in
1837 with the invention of the telegraph system. In 1851 Boston, the telegraph was used for
emergency assistance by the fire departments in coordinating their actions, and for
communication. In 1876, the telephone was invented which paved the way for police
telephones not too long after its emergence as new technology. By 1883, call boxes were
invented that could both serve the police and the public. For the police, these boxes allowed

14
them to reduce costs by reducing the number of patrol officers needed for the streets. For the
public, these boxes, wired directly to police assistance would increase promptness and
effectiveness of police response in emergencies. The Bertillon System of Identification was
invented to identify criminals known as Anthropometry. Police also began using police
wagons to transport criminals. Fingerprint technologies were explicitly developed to develop
a classification system useful for law enforcement. In 1877, Sir William J. Herschel proposed
using fingerprinting for criminal identification in India and Dr. Henry Faulds came to a
similar conclusion independently in 1880. Most importantly, in 1892 Sir Francis Galton
published his findings that fingerprints did not change over the course of a lifetime and that
each individual's fingerprints were unique. This led to the incorporation of fingerprints in
addition to the anthropometric system in 1894 by Scotland Yard. In 1899, the colonial
legislature passed the Indian Evidence Act, which was the first endorsement of fingerprints as
legal evidence, not only identifying criminals and reoffenders, but also for finding and
convicting them. Originally, fingerprints were not conceived of as a forensic tool, but merely
as a record-keeping system. The Political Era stayed in effect until the 1920’s.
The Professional Era: This era began in the 1920’s, with the reform movement
aiming to rid policing of the often corrupt political ties to policing, and change law
enforcement into a more professional model. This era promoted regulation, equality in the
enforcement of the law, and national level policy-making. By this time the use of the
polygraph machine and the use of fingerprint and handwriting analysis were started. During
this era, there were also other technological advancements. As early as 1920 it was becoming
apparent that the foot patrol method of policing was handicapped in light of the growing
prevalence of the automobile. The increasing size of residential areas in large cities was also
beginning to strain police stations by making the costs of foot patrols prohibitive. The foot
patrols of the previous century were therefore ill-suited to the new social conditions,
requiring a new approach to policing. Under these conditions, police forces developed rapid-
response methods with the aid of the telephone, two-way radio, and automobile. In the
1930’s, the automobile began to be used more in law enforcement. Two-way radios came
into play during this time as well. Radar was invented and made available to the traffic
sections of law enforcement in the 1940’s; a great invention to resolve traffic issues, and
safety.
Community Policing Model: Took over in 1970, as the system that our Government
uses for criminal justice. This system recognizes that in order to control crime besides
arresting offenders and closing cases a lot of things need to be done. Policy makers

15
recognized that solving the root causes of crime in the community was the better way to
control crime. This model is still in effect today. During this era, computerization of law
enforcement systems has been greatly advanced. Most of these advances can be traced back
to two inventions; the transistor and the microprocessor. These inventions lead to the
invention of computers. Computers have been the key factor for number of advancements in
police technology. The manner in which data is collected, stored, and studied was affected in
a major way. Databases have been created that can be studied and used nationally, such as
Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), National Crime Information Center
(NCIC), and CCTNS.
AFIS is a national database that can be accessed by law enforcement agencies to
match fingerprints found at crime scenes. This speeds up the fingerprint identification for
crime scene technicians, detectives, and anyone else concerned with evidence management.
NCIC connects fingerprint information to individual criminal records, such as; criminal
record, tattoo pictures, offender photographs, current status of offender (i.e. Parole or
punishment information) and any other identifying features that can be recorded. This
technology saves officer’s valuable time in having the records readily available whether in
the office or the patrol car. It also allows officers responding to helpline calls to look up
offender information on license plates, addresses, or drivers licenses from their cars which
now are equipped with computers, before they have to have contact with suspects. The
officers are more informed and can use more caution, when they are made aware of violent
tendencies, or other suspect information. Fingerprint information, was sped up even further
with the invention of the fax machine. Information can be transmitted between agencies or
from NCIC to the requesting agency in seconds, when mailed requests took weeks to receive
results. Other advances in technology in this era include Geographic Information Systems,
which help in locating suspects and victims, and Global Positioning technology, which uses
satellites to locate people and vehicles.
To do their job, police frequently have looked up to technology for enhancing their
effectiveness. But, progress in technology for the police has often been slow and uneven. The
advent of fingerprinting in 1900s and of crime laboratories in 1920s greatly augmented the
police capacity to solve crimes. The introduction of two-way radio and widespread use of
automobile in 1930s multiplied police productivity in responding to incidents. There were
other technological innovations reaching into the next two decades. For example, radar was
introduced to traffic law enforcement in the late 1940s. In 1960s (120 years after the
inception of the modern era of policing), the government for the first time launched a

16
concerted effort to foster development and use of new technologies for the police. In recent
years many agencies have found that the use of information technologies significantly helpful
to them in a number of ways. Cascading technological innovations in areas such as computer
networking (especially useful in the detection of white collar crimes and frauds); computer
fingerprint identification including DNA identification; enhanced capacity for surveillance
and monitoring activities along a broad spectrum utilizing the state of art-technical aids are a
sine qua non for police survival.158 The future of law enforcement holds much advancement
in store, such as exoskeletons to increase strength and durability, weapons advancements, and
intelligence advancements159.
3.4 (a) Need and Emergence of New Technologies
Changing scenario in society makes it necessary that the police should also evolve to
keep pace with the changing times. Some of the newer challenges are rapid urbanisation,
growing economic and social inequalities. Rising population combined with continued
urbanisation will create new challenges like conflicts over land, competition for jobs,
pressure on infrastructure and resources, explosive growth of vehicle movement, and
religious and political tensions. With increased urbanisation and increasing numbers of
vehicles on the roads, traffic control management that includes reduction in road accidents,
facilitating orderly traffic flow and enforcement of traffic discipline, will emerge as a priority
area for the police department160. Currently, there are more fatalities each year from road
accidents in India than in the United States, though we have only about one-twentieth of road
vehicles as compared to the USA161.
Growing economic and social inequalities are also demanding police effectiveness.
The combined forces of globalisation, modernisation and urbanisation are leading to raise
economic inequalities. Though the global economy has grown sevenfold since 1950 the
disparity in per capita gross domestic product between the 20 richest and 20 poorest nations
has more than doubled between 1960 and 1995. In India the richest 20 per cent of the
population command 46 per cent of the total income while the poorest 20 per cent get only 8
per cent of the total income. The impacts of this widening rich–poor gap are varied. They
include environmental destruction, migration and conflict. Wealthier individuals fight to keep
158
M.K. Narayanan (2012), “New Challenges to Policing”, The Indian Police Journal, October 2011 - January
2012, Vol. LVIII, No. 4, p. 4-11.
159
Elizabeth Hall (2012) “Police Technology: A History, Past, Present, and Future” available at
http://criminologyjust.blogspot.in/2012/09/police-technology-history-past-present.html#.VTSaSiGqqko
accessed on 2nd April 2015
160
Suman, loc.cit, pp. 5.
161
http://issuu.com/i4d_magazine/docs/i4d_october_2007_issue accessed on 3rd February 2015

17
what they have, while those suffering a lack of resources fight to obtain them. Since poorer
groups typically lack the assets and technology to conduct large-scale conventional war to
obtain their goals, they often resort to low-intensity conflict and terrorism162.
Technology helps to radically change the way development is perceived by
practitioners. It enhances accountability, responsiveness, transparency, checks corruption and
saves time. It helps to enhance the quality of public service provisions to the poor,
downtrodden, marginalized sections of the society and also to the women and rural people. In
Indian Policing System, the procedures of interaction with the citizens and policing agencies
are turned out to be cumbersome, perplexing and pathetically slow 163. However, citizens
expect speedy and transparent delivery of public service. Therefore, the need of the hour is
that the government should aggressively promote the pervasive use of technology to achieve
higher levels of efficiency and effectiveness.
More than a decade ago checking crime relied only on old fashioned tools such as
strict security at vulnerable places and intelligence gathering by government agencies. In the
changing society, with the advent of new technology, crime is also emerging in new forms164
and criminals are one step ahead of the police in making use of the latest technology in
implement their nefarious designs. Crime is becoming more sophisticated, the sphere of
operation of organized gangs and racketeers is widening and is becoming easier for criminals
to defy detection wither by leaving the scenes of crime by the fast means of transport that are
becoming increasingly available everywhere or otherwise. New heinous crimes are also being
committed with increasing frequency by desperate groups of people with international
ramifications e.g., hijacking of aircraft and personal attacks through devices like the letter-
bombs165. The Internet and others types of telecommunication provide the individual users
with innovative ways to commit crimes which are hard to trace166. In the present situation the
role of police is confined not only to the prevention of traditional crime but also to have a
regular check on the new genre of crime. Technology undoubtedly played a big role in
helping police to bring crime rates down. Crime statistics would not have been possible

162
Facing the Future: People and the Planet Global-Issues.net The Gap between Rich and Poor
http://www.soulwindow.org/diversity/richpoor.pdf accessed on 24th January 2014.
163
Dr. Jaswinder Kaur & Namit Kumar (2011), “Application of Information Technology in Policing”, A
paper presented in 3rd Chandigarh Social Science Congress 2011, Department of Public Administration, Panjab
University, Chandigarh on 24th February 2011.
164
Ibid.
165
The Gore Committee Report on Police Training (1973) Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
166
Deflem, Mathieu and Stephen Chicoine (2014), “History of Technology in Policing." in Encyclopedia of
Criminology and Criminal Justice, edited by Gerben Bruinsma and David Weisburd. Berlin: Springer, Pp. 2269-
77.

18
without accurate, timely information about where and when crimes are being committed, and
computers made it possible to gather crime data on a weekly or daily basis167.
At present ‘Public Order’ and ‘Police’ are state subjects thereby making state
governments primarily responsible for maintaining law and order and preventing crime. The
police set-up in every state is a vast and complex distributed organisation. On an average
there are about 20 functional units. While each wing functions independently, there a set of
complex interactions taking place between the wings. While some of the wings are located at
the Police Headquarters, a few like the police station are geographically distributed and have
a presence even in remote parts of the state. Of all the wings within the department, the police
station occupies a pivotal position for several reasons. The police station not only serves as
the main interface to the public but is also as a key supplier of information to the several
wings within the department. Currently the police functioning beset with inter alia, the
following problems;
 Lack of integrated information systems for operations
 Poor quality data and information services for mission-critical processes
 Poor ability to exchange information with other related state and national
agencies
 Poor integration between voice, radio and data communications
 Multiple entries of the same data
 Requirement to access multiple databases to retrieve related information
 Limited ability to analyse information because of its disparate locations
 Timeliness and quality of data capture
 Security of information, information systems and information usage.
Given the fact that the police will have to face newer challenges in the coming
decades, it is imperative that modern tools of technology must become an integral part of the
police force. The greater emphasis on accountability and transparency in the police
functioning will only increase the load on the police force. The police are also bound to face
increasing pressure from all the stakeholders, not only from the public/media for better
detection, investigation, and prevention of crime but also from its employees, for better
working conditions.
Further, the proliferation of ICTs in all spheres of life including the ever growing
Internet and mobile phone subscriber base create opportunities for significant economic

167
Critical Issues In Policing Series “How Are Innovations In Technology Transforming Policing?”
(January 2012), Police Executive Research Forum, Washington, D.C.

19
development. It therefore becomes important that critical infrastructure and the information
economy must be protected, and not become vulnerable to crime. Some of the challenges
posed by electronic crime are its global reach, speed, unpredictability of evidence for
investigators, anonymity, and potential for deliberate exploitation of sovereignty and
jurisdictional issues. It is widely expected that as technology becomes even more pervasive,
traditional threats will increasingly involve aspects of technology and electronic crime.
Globalisation allows multinational criminal syndicates to broaden their range of operations
from drug and arms trafficking to money laundering, counterfeit currency, piracy and human
trafficking. The role of the police will increasingly be related to ‘mapping’ and predicting
risk within the population. There are some driving factors which are forcing the police to look
at integrating modern technologies in their work.
The first imperative is Technology Driven. Much of police work is actually processing
information. Hence, it is natural that technologies would be of great benefit. Police need to
invest in technologies to increase their capacity to store and process large volumes of data; to
improve their intelligence and investigative capabilities; and to provide ready access to
criminal records and other crime-related information.
The second imperative is Policy Driven. Though police organisations are not driven
by market considerations, yet there are demands for public accountability, in terms of cost-
effectiveness, probity and procedural regularity. Since the 1980s, a new conception of public
accountability has arisen in a number of Western countries such as Britain, France, America.
There is an emphasis on cost control, efficiency, decentralisation of management and cutting
back of the public sector, while creating market or quasi-market mechanisms such as
contracting out, performance indicators, risk assessment and audit procedures. There is a new
emphasis on customer service and performance measures. Thus, part of the maintenance and
upgrading of Information Technology in policing is designed to meet the requirements for
information under the new management and accountability systems.
The third imperative is Information Driven. Apart from meeting the demands of
external watchdog agencies for information regarding police actions for accountability
purposes, police organisations regularly provide crime and accident data for external bodies
such as road traffic authorities and insurance companies. To be able to function as a unit and
act in a proactive manner rather than a reactive one, the police has to function in a
collaborative mode with each wing interacting with the other entities both within and outside
to access and/or transfer the necessary information.

20
 To meet the challenges of the coming decades it is essential to have a police force
which is up-to-date with technologies in its daily work. This will build the confidence of the
public that the police force is effective and can serve the community efficiently. It will help
bring more offences to justice through a modern and efficient process. Employees will also
benefit. Not only does technology promise to improve police effectiveness and efficiency in
controlling crime, it may also enhance their professional status and organisational
legitimacy168.

3.5 Latest Technological Developments in Policing

Technology, in a very real sense, is transforming policing in fundamental respects.
New technological innovations have been developed to prevent crime and to improve the
performance of the police169. New and emerging technologies are playing an increasingly
crucial role in the daily work of frontline police officers, equipping them with enforcement
and investigative tools that have the potential to make them better informed and more
effective. Potent challenge before the police is that of technological innovation.
Technological progress in the police has made incremental progress and the necessity to
bridge the technological gap cannot be overlooked. The police in India need to foster a
technological revolution making full use of the several technological innovations employed
by police forces in other parts of the world. There are two general types of technological
innovations that can be identified: information-based technologies (which can be identified as
soft technology) and material-based technologies (which can be identified as hard
technologies). Both types of technological innovation have been providing the unforeseen
changes in the organization of police.
A representative list of new technological tools which are used worldwide are
discussed below, separating hard material based technological innovations from soft
information based innovations. Although this list of new hard and soft technologies is not
complete, but a sincere attempt has been made to captures the range of technological
innovations currently being applied in police settings, both in this country and abroad.

168
Dr. Vikesh Sethi (2013), “Role of ICT in Police Force in India”, International Journal of Advanced
Research in Computer Science and Software Engineering Research Paper Volume 3, Issue 11, November
available at: www.ijarcsse.com accessed on 03rd February 2015.
169
James Byrne and Gary Marx (2011)“Technological Innovations in Crime Prevention and Policing. A
Review of the Research on Implementation and Impact” Cahiers Politiestudies Jaargang, No. 20, p. 17-40.

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3.5 (a) Hard Technologies
Hard technology innovations include new materials, devices, and equipment that can
be used to either commit crime or prevent and control crime. The primary distinction can be
made between criminal justice innovations that have a hard material base as against less
tangible information as soft. The example of hard technologies used in policing can be CCTV
cameras, metal detectors, baggage screening at airports, bullet proof windows, and security
systems and ignition interlock systems with alcosensor devices to prevent an individual from
starting a car while intoxicated. We can also identify hard technology innovations being used
by police, including, new weapons, less than lethal force devices, new technology-enhanced
patrol cars, and new police protective gear.
Global Positioning System170 (GPS), is a technology that can give accurate position
anywhere on earth (latitude/longitude) with the help of a special GPS receiver that can
receive signals from satellites. It works anywhere on the planet where one can receive signals
from the satellite. A pretty clear view of the sky is needed for GPS to work, so it won't work
inside buildings, underground or even in a forest. Few years back, GPS wasn't available to it's
full accuracy, but since the year 2000 it is available with full accuracy anywhere in the world
and to anyone who buys a GPS receiver. The GPS is owned and operated by United States
Department of Defence. But it is available freely to anyone in the world for use. There is no
subscription or monthly fees to pay. Only need to buy a receiver that is capable of receiving
the signals. But if anyone wants to use add-on services like, differential correction for better
accuracy, there may be additional fee. Other countries have developed similar Satellite
Navigation Systems of their own. For example, European Union is developing a system
called Galileo and Russia has an operational system called GLONASS. Many modern
receivers are capable of using signals from all these systems. GPS is free for use. Further, the
Government of India is also working on the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System
(IRNSS), which is a satellite navigation system, similar to GPS or GLONASS - but it's
coverage will be limited to India. It is being developed by ISRO and would be under
complete control of the Indian government. The system is expected to be operational by
2016171. Accuracy varies depending on the type of GPS unit. In general, you can expect the
position to be within 15m of its true position on earth. Techniques like Differential GPS (D-
GPS) can give accuracy less than 3m. Advanced techniques like satellite augmentation,

170
http://www.gpsinindia.com accessed on 28th January 2015.
171
http://www.gpsinindia.com/info/irnss---indian-regional-navigational-satellite-system accessed on 26th
January 2015.

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carrier-phase GPS are used for very accurate surveys and can be accurate within centimeters.
Police departments all over the world are using it for tracking purposes.
Use of computer technology172 in law enforcement has expanded substantially over
the past two decades. Given the increasing power and diminishing costs of technology, the
extensive growth in mobile communications infrastructure, and the expansion of innovative
applications available, computer usage continues to increase in law enforcement agencies
throughout the United States. According to the 2007 LEMAS survey recently released by the
Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, local police departments report using
computers for a variety of law enforcement functions, including records management (79
percent), crime investigation (60 percent), information sharing (50 percent), and dispatch (49
percent). All larger police departments (that is, those serving populations of 250,000 or more)
reported using computers for crime analysis and crime mapping (100 percent), and these
functions were also automated in a vast majority of midsized agencies (that is, those serving
populations of 25,000–249,999). More than 90 percent of agencies serving populations of
25,000 or more reported having access to automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS)
and using infield computers (for example, mobile digital computers, terminals, and laptops)
(see figure 1). In addition to the broad availability of infield computers, officers also had
access to an expanding array of information including vehicle records (88 percent); driving
records (81 percent); warrants (81 percent); protection orders (66 percent); interagency
information sharing (60 percent); calls-for-service history (60 percent); and criminal history
records (50 percent) (see table 1). Police departments of all sizes were much more likely to
use electronic methods to transmit criminal incident reports to headquarters, with 60 percent
of all agencies in 2007, compared to just 38 percent in 2003. Automating the transmission of
incident reports is a critical element in building timely, accurate information and information-
sharing capabilities.
Mobile Biometry173 (MOBIO) concept develops new mobile services secured by
biometric authentication means. Scientific and technical objectives include robust-to-
illumination face authentication, robust-to-noise speaker authentication, joint bi-modal
authentication, model adaptation and scalability. These days, portable personal devices such
as PDAs or mobile phones are indeed widely used. They provide the mobile worker or the
customer with portable computing and wireless access to Telecom networks and to the

172
“Technology Is Playing an Expanding Role in Policing” by David J. Roberts available at http//www.police
chiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=2295&issue_id=12011 accessed
on 26th January 2015.
173
http://www.mobioproject.org/ accessed on 26th January 2015.

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Internet. It is then possible to provide anywhere anytime a natural access to any service, such
as PIN code replacement, phone card reloading, remote purchase, telephone banking or
voice-mail. Most of these services involve micro payments that can currently be done only
using PIN codes or passwords. To win wide consumer acceptance, their friendly,
personalised, interactive interfaces must recognise people in their immediate environment
and, at a minimum, know who they are. The conventional means of identification such as
passwords, secret codes and personal identification numbers (PINs) can easily be
compromised, shared, observed, stolen or forgotten. In view of this, it appears that the
required optimal reliability in determining the identities of users may only be achieved
through the use of biometrics (automatically recognising a person using distinguishing traits).
Since more and more portable devices are equipped with a microphone and a video camera
(while very few devices are equipped with fingerprint or iris scanners), MOBIO will thus
focus on multiple aspects of biometric authentication (ranging from research to development
and scalability) based on face and voice authentication. MOBIO will thus address several
innovative aspects in the framework of mobile devices, including:
 Advanced research and development on joint bi-modal authentication (as opposed to
bi-modal fusion), involving the development of new statistical models actually
processing both channels simultaneously and in a principled way.
 Investigation of model adaptation techniques to reduce the degradation of biometric
systems over time.
 Analysing the scalability of the proposed solutions by studying how the performance
of the system degrades while the complexity of the model is reduced.
 Providing common evaluation tools and baseline results to the research community in
order to evaluate and compare the developed technologies.

Electronic listening devices are designed for Audio Surveillance involve the capturing
of conversations using surveillance transmitters or wireless transmitters, surveillance
recorders, monitoring equipment, and listening device tools in a legal manner to be used by
law enforcement agencies. They consist of:
 RF transmitters
 electronic bugs
 body wires
 bugging devices
 bugging equipment

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  electronic bugs
 phone bugs
 telephone wiretaps
Listening Devices and Audio Surveillance equipment can listen, monitor, record, and
store voice conversations. Listening devices in conjunction with voice recorders or voice
loggers can save conversations for legal evidence collection and monitor conversations while
they take place. They help evaluate threats and safety levels of people in many situations. A
Wireless Mic or Wireless Microphone listening device broadcasting surveillance
conversations to a radio receiver or communications receiver help law enforcement officers
gather and store information. This audio surveillance system is one of many available to
police agencies that need listening devices to collect evidence on suspected criminals.
Concealable Transmitters can monitor conversations in a room if gaining access is difficult,
by using room transmitters, body wires, wireless mics, etc. These listening devices are self
contained, free-standing, and can be placed in a room where discovery would be unlikely yet
close to where conversations take place. Disguised Transmitters and covert transmitters are
used for covert surveillance by placing audio transmitters into everyday objects such as a
clock, belt, calculator, ashtray, the user conducts undercover operations. Digital Surveillance
Transmitters are listening devices with features such as remote controlled activation, audio
surveillance recorder features, encrypted surveillance transmitters, and data monitoring
transmitters. Listening Devices that transmit Audio Surveillance over long distance while
drawing very low power output are known as Lithium Transmitters. These listening devices
are very small and can be placed in hard to view areas. Telephone Transmitters are listening
devices used for phone tapping in order to obtain both sides of a phone conversation. These
listening devices are telephone wiretaps that live off the energy of the phone line, prolonging
their operation life indefinitely. Mains Powered Transmitters are listening devices and
broadcast audio surveillance for extended use where continuous power exists, and audio
surveillance access is difficult to get. These listening devices can operate indefinitely due to
the AC power line that provides continuous power to the listening device.
Electronic nose174 (is a device that identifies the specific components of an odor and
analysis its chemical makeup to identify.) Vaporsens, a start-up company at the US, is
developing a handheld device that can detect odors, such as narcotics and explosives, in the
air. Police now have an electronic dog nose. The device is similar to machines at the airport,

174
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/2013/02/01/u-develops-electric-nose - to - help – police – border - patrol/
accessed on 5th December 2014.

25
but is much smaller and will be sold for the same price or less. “Nanofibers form a web,
almost like a spider web, and actually look and function very similar to a dog’s nose”.
Nanotechnology175, the manipulation or self-assembly of individual atoms, molecules,
or molecular clusters into structures, can be used to create materials and devices with new or
vastly different properties. On an even smaller scale, the nano world offers high-performance
materials, powerful computers, medical treatments, and other benefits yet to be realized.
Nanotechnology promises smaller and more accurate tools and systems, batteries with longer
life and incredibly sensitive sensors. Nanotags will be used to coat surfaces to capture DNA,
nanoparticles will develop miniature sensors that will detect various illegal drugs, x-ray
systems will be enhanced through the use of carbon nanotubes, infrared nanotechnology will
expand the uses of searching for missing people and suspects, dusts (known as Clever Dust,
Deputy Dust, Daft Dust, Smart Dust and Flashy Dust) may be used to track movements, and
miniscule RFID may offer assistance to those who need them the most. (UH ISRC, 2005)
The promise of using nanotechnology to investigate criminal activity is rapidly approaching
and the use of these newly developing tools may provide the next generation of peace officers
their primary method to solve crimes.
Radio Frequency Identification technology176, or RFID, is being used in a number of
settings from grocery stores and other retail outlets, to keeping track of pets and cattle, to
license plates and passports. But the RFID systems are a clear threat to privacy, and recent
history has shown that over-reliance on any kind of computer technology can be a disaster
when the computers replace common sense. More recently, many people have become
convinced that it won't be long until everyone is required to accept RFID tags embedded in
their skin. When the chips are implanted, they will leave a mark, and without that mark,
many people believe that it will be impossible to buy or sell anything. RFID systems will be
used in a number of supposedly beneficial applications so that we can see what a great tool it
could be for fighting terrorism and illegal immigration and all sorts of other problems. But
remember, cattle are branded for the benefit of the farmer, not the cows. And when
government officials assure you that RFID tags can't be copied, cloned or read by
unauthorized snoops, don't believe it. While barcodes have historically been the primary
means of tracking products, RFID systems are rapidly becoming the preferred technology for

175
“Law Enforcements use of Nanotechnology – Science Fact or Science Fiction?”, by Lieutenant Amy
Christey, September 2010 available at http://lib.post.ca.gov/lib-documents/cc/47-christey.pdf accessed on 25th
October 2014.
176
“RFID: Radio Frequency Identification Technology and its Impact on Privacy” available at
http://www.rfid1984.com/ accessed on 13th September 2014.

26
keeping tabs on people, pets, products, and even vehicles. One reason for this is because the
read/write capability of an active RFID system enables the use of interactive applications.
Also, the tags can be read from a distance and through a variety of substances such as snow,
fog, ice, or paint, where barcodes have proved useless. A parallel technology involves the
widespread use of license plate readers.
Video Lie Detector is done by using a number of sensors attached to the body,
physiological changes can be used to determine whether someone is telling the truth. A major
change in any pattern, also known as a "response conflict", is a sign that a person is lying.
Motion sensors177 are types of electronic security device that senses movement and
usually triggers an alarm. Many types of motion sensors can sense motion in total darkness,
without an intruder becoming aware that an alarm has been triggered. Motion sensors are an
important part of most burglar alarm systems. They help alert security personnel, especially
in situations where no obvious break-in has occurred. For instance, if an intruder steals a key
to gain access to a protected site or hides within the site during normal business hours, the
intruder’s entrance or presence could go unnoticed. A motion sensor will detect the intruder’s
movements as soon as he or she walks or otherwise moves within the area protected by the
detector. Motion sensors usually protect indoor areas, where conditions can be more closely
controlled. Sensors for use in homes usually detect movement in spaces about 11 m × 11 m
(35 ft × 35 ft) in area. Sensors for large warehouses can protect areas with dimensions as
large as 24 m × 37 m (80 ft × 120 ft).Buildings with valuable or important assets, such
as museums, also use motion sensors to detect break-ins at vulnerable points. Such points
include walls, doors, windows, skylights, and even air ducts. Special motion sensors can
protect the inside of exhibit cases where items such as diamonds are displayed. Others can be
focused to a narrow area of coverage, somewhat like a curtain, that is projected in front of a
painting to detect even the slightest touch.
A biosensor178 (is an analytical device which converts a biological response into an
electrical signal.)179 it is an analytical device incorporating a biological material i.e. tissue,
microorganisms, enzymes etc. it usually yield digital electronic signal which is proportional
to the concentration of a specific analyte or a group of analytes. The term 'biosensor' is often
used to cover sensor devices used in order to determine the concentration of substances and

177
http://www.academia.edu/3824247/Literature_Review_of_A_Burglar_Alarm_System accessed on 13th
September 2014.
178
http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/enztech/biosensors.html accessed on 16th September 2014.
179
Suman Kapur (2008), Law Enforcement and Emerging Technology, A Paper presented at 38th All India
Police Science Congress, on 28-29th January, in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

27
other parameters of biological interest even where they do not utilise a biological system
directly. It concerns enzymes as the biologically responsive material, but it should be
recognised that other biological systems may be utilised by biosensors, for example, whole
cell metabolism, ligand binding and the antibody-antigen reaction. Biosensors represent a
rapidly expanding field, at the present time, with an estimated 60% annual growth rate. The
current endeavour concerns potentiometric and amperometric biosensors and colorimetric
paper enzyme strips. However, all the main transducer types are likely to be thoroughly
examined, for use in biosensors, over the next few years.
Wearable computers are battery powered computers that are worn on the body, used
for applications that require computational support while the users hands, voice, eyes or
attention are actively engaged with the physical environment. A wearable computer is an
electronic device capable of storing and processing data that is incorporated into a person's
clothing or personal accessories. Some inventors and other theorists not only believe that
one could wear a computer; they believe there's no reason why one shouldn't. Assuming
one remembered to wear it, a wearable computer is always available. Currently, several
companies sell wearables and there is a considerable literature on the subject. Some
wearable computers are basically desktop or notebook computers that have been scaled
down for body-wear. Others employ brand new technology. Both general and special
purposes are envisioned. A number of wearables have been designed for the disabled.
Cognitive Radios work according to early experience. On the morning drive to work,
for instance, it would measure the propaganda characteristics, signals strength and
transmission quality of the different bands available in its vicinity as it rides along with you.
Thus, it builds an internal database that defines how it should best operate in different places
& at specific times of day180.
Geographical Information System (GIS) is a set of procedures and computer
hardware/software for organizing, storing, retrieving, analyzing and displaying data which
includes a geographic component181). A geographic information system lets visualize,
question, analyze, and interpret data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends. It
benefits organizations of all sizes and in almost every industry. There is a growing interest in
and awareness of the economic and strategic value of GIS. GIS is the go-to technology for
making better decisions about location. Common examples include real estate site selection,

180
Technology Update (2005), The Indian Police Journal, Vol. L II, No.3, July-September.
181
K. Jaishankar & K. Chockalingam (2001), GIS: A Novel Tool for Indian Policing, The Indian Police
Journal, Vol. XL VIII, No.3, July-September.

28
route/corridor selection, evacuation planning, conservation, natural resource extraction, etc.
Making correct decisions about location is critical to the success of an organization. GIS-
based maps and visualizations greatly assist in understanding situations and in storytelling.
They are a type of language that improves communication between different teams,
departments, disciplines, professional fields, organizations, and the public. Many
organizations have a primary responsibility of maintaining authoritative records about the
status and change of geography. GIS provides a strong framework for managing these types
of records with full transaction support and reporting tools. GIS is becoming essential to
understanding what is happening and what will happen in geographic space. Once we
understand, we can prescribe action. This new approach to management—managing
geographically—is transforming the way organizations operate.
Radio Frequency Identification (it uses radio waves to identify people or objects.182)
The acronym refers to small electronic devices that consist of a small chip and an antenna.
The chip typically is capable of carrying 2,000 bytes of data or less. The RFID183 device
serves the same purpose as a bar code or a magnetic strip on the back of a credit card or
ATM card; it provides a unique identifier for that object. And, just as a bar code or
magnetic strip must be scanned to get the information, the RFID device must be scanned to
retrieve the identifying information. A significant advantage of RFID is that the RFID
device does not need to be positioned precisely relative to the scanner. We're all familiar
with the difficulty that store checkout clerks sometimes have in making sure that a barcode
can be read. And obviously, credit cards and ATM cards must be swiped through a special
reader. In contrast, RFID devices will work within a few feet (up to 20 feet for high-
frequency devices) of the scanner. For example, one could just put all of your groceries or
purchases in a bag, and set the bag on the scanner. It would be able to query all of the RFID
devices and total your purchase immediately.
Liquid Body Armour (bullet proof vests is the newest technology to save the soldiers
life. It is light and flexible in which allows soldiers to be more mobile and wont hinder an
individual from running or aiming his/her weapon.)
Cyber Crime Units (computer crime is use of computer system dishonestly for
personnel gain or wrongful work to others.184) The National Cyber Crime Unit has brought
together specialists from the Police Central e-Crime Unit in the Metropolitan Police Service

182
Technology Update (2005), The Indian Police Journal, Vol. LII, No.1, January-March.
183
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/technology-article.asp accessed on 13th September 2014.
184
A.S. Chawla (2003), Cyber Crime: Investigation and Prevention, The Indian Police Journal, Vol. L, No.3,
January-March.

29
and SOCA Cyber to create expert technical, tactical intelligence and investigation teams. It
has the capability to respond in fast time to rapidly changing threats and collaborates with
partners to reduce cyber and cyber-enabled crime by providing a powerful and highly visible
investigative response to the most serious incidents of cyber crime: pursuing cyber criminals
at a national and international level. It is working proactively to target criminal vulnerabilities
and prevent criminal opportunities and assisting the NCA and wider law enforcement to
prevent cyber-enabled crime and pursue those who utilise the internet or ICT for criminal
means.
3.5 (b) Soft Technologies
Soft technologies involve the strategic use of information to prevent crime and to
improve the performance of the police (e.g. predictive policing technology, and
recording/video streaming capabilities in police vehicles). Soft technology innovations
include new software programs, classification systems, crime analysis techniques, and data
sharing/ system integration techniques.
DNA185 (is short form for Deoxyribonucleic Acid which is a blueprint for life. It is a
molecule that carries genetic information that governs person’s physical characteristics. Each
individual inherits half their DNA from his/her mother and the other half from his/her
father186.) The past decade has seen great advances in a powerful criminal justice tool: DNA.
It can be used to identify criminals with incredible accuracy when biological evidence exists.
By the same token, DNA can be used to clear suspects and exonerate persons mistakenly
accused or convicted of crimes. In all, DNA technology is increasingly vital to ensuring
accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system. News stories extolling the successful use
of DNA to solve crimes abound. For example, in 1999, New York authorities linked a man
through DNA evidence to at least 22 sexual assaults and robberies that had terrorized the
city. In 2002, authorities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Fort Collins, Colorado, used
DNA evidence to link and solve a series of crimes (rapes and a murder) perpetrated by the
same individual. In the 2001 “Green River” killings, DNA evidence provided a major
breakthrough in a series of crimes that had remained unsolved for years despite a large law
enforcement task force and a $15 million investigation. DNA is generally used to solve
crimes in one of two ways. In cases where a suspect is identified, a sample of that person’s

185
“Advancing Justice through DNA technology using DNA Solve Crime” available at
http://www.justice.gov/ag/advancing-justice-through-dna-technology-using-dna-solve-crimes accessed on 26th
January 2015.
186
John S. Dempsey & Linda S. Forest (2005), “An Introduction to Policing”, 3rd Edition, Thomson
Wadsworth, Australia.

30
DNA can be compared to evidence from the crime scene. The results of this comparison may
help establish whether the suspect committed the crime. In cases where a suspect has not yet
been identified, biological evidence from the crime scene can be analyzed and compared to
offender profiles in DNA databases to help identify the perpetrator. Crime scene evidence
can also be linked to other crime scenes through the use of DNA databases. For example,
assume that a man was convicted of sexual assault. At the time of his conviction, he was
required to provide a sample of his DNA, and the resulting DNA profile was entered into a
DNA database. Several years later, another sexual assault was committed. A Sexual Assault
Nurse Examiner worked with the victim and was able to obtain biological evidence from the
rape. This evidence was analyzed, the resulting profile was run against a DNA database, and
a match was made to the man’s DNA profile. He was apprehended, tried, and sentenced for
his second crime. In this hypothetical case, he was also prevented from committing other
crimes during the period of his incarceration.
Internet Connections: Information on police websites, internet (internet is used for e-
mail, for address searches on individuals, for documentation on courses offered to police
officers by training centers and, finally to research general information, it saves time and
travel in managing files), intranet (provides an organization with internal access to forms,
allows internet dissemination of information on a suspect, updating jurisprudence and also
sending messages of general interest throughout the organization). The Internet is a
global network connecting millions of computers. More than 190 countries are linked into
exchanges of data, news and opinions. According to Internet Live Stats, as on 30th
December 2014 there was an estimated 3,037,608,300 Internet users worldwide. The number
of Internet users represents nearly 40 percent of the world's population. The largest number of
Internet users by country is China, followed by the United States and India. In September
2014, the total number of websites with a unique hostname online exceeded 1 billion. This is
an increase from one website (info.cern.ch) in 1991. Unlike online services, which are
centrally controlled, by design, the Internet is decentralized. Each Internet computer, called
a host, is independent. Operators can choose which Internet services to use and which local
services to make available to the global Internet community. Remarkably, this anarchy by
design works exceedingly well. There are a variety of ways to access the Internet. Most
online services offer access to some Internet services. It is also possible to gain access
through a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP). No one actually owns the Internet, and
no single person or organization controls the Internet in its entirety. The Internet is more of a
concept than an actual tangible entity, and it relies on a physical infrastructure that connects

31
networks to other networks. Internet is a massive network of networks, a networking
infrastructure. It connects millions of computers together globally, forming a network in
which any computer can communicate with any other computer as long as they are both
connected to the Internet. There are no precise, reliable statistics on the amount of computer
crime and the economic loss to victims, partly because many of these crimes are apparently
not detected by victims, many of these crimes are never reported to authorities, and partly
because the losses are often difficult to calculate. Internet fraud takes many forms. The
Internet's promise of substantial consumer benefits is coupled with the potential for fraud and
deception. Fraud operators are opportunists who are among the first to appreciate the
potential of a new technology. There is nothing new about Internet fraud, however, the size
and potential market, relative ease, low cost, and speed with which a scam can be perpetrated
has increased tremendously187.
Video Interrogation188 (interrogation filmed on video constitutes a major break rough for
the police. It is used in cases of serious crime and can be seen whenever there is need)
to ask someone a lot of questions for a long time in order to get information, sometimes
using threats or violence. The widespread use of video technology by local law enforcement
officials in criminal interrogations is well known but-at least in the United States-
unexamined. It is estimated that in 1990 about one-sixth of full police and sheriffs'
departments in the United States-almost 2,400 agencies videotaped at least some
interrogations or confessions. Videotaping is thought to help win acceptance into evidence of
incriminating statements by accused persons. This is primarily because it makes it easier to
show the voluntary nature of a confession. An emerging technology could speed the location
of key information on videotapes or video disks. Interactive video technology, in conjunction
with voice recognition and automated transcription equipment, can generate a written
transcript on screen (or in a printout if necessary) as well as an audio and visual recording.
Using this technology prosecutor would be able to search for and find key words or even key
visual images in the video recording of the interrogation as quickly as one search for and
locates a particular selection on a compact disk or a key word in a word processed document
today. Further research and development is needed to adapt these technologies for criminal
justice applications.

187
http://www.kolkatapolice.gov.in/ComputerandInternet.aspx accessed on 26th January 2015.
188
Videotaping Interrogations and Confessions by William A. Geller, U.S. Department of Justice, Office or
Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice available at https://www.ncjrs.gov
pdffiles1/Digitization/139962NCJRS.pdf accessed on 31st January 2015.

32
 Digital photography189 (it allows one to brighten, darken or yet enlarge any
photographic image and is used by the criminal intelligence and fingerprinting services). The
first known use of the camera for law enforcement purposes was in the mid 19th century,
initially to record still images of arrested individuals and to document crime scenes. This is
still important today, but police also now use camera and video to record interrogations,
traffic stops, surveillance, public thoroughfares, and traffic accidents. They also frequently
use cameras to document physical evidence at a crime scene before it is collected into
evidence. Fingerprints developed with fluorescent powder or illuminated by an alternate light
source (ALS), an intense light source with filters capable of illuminating a wide range of
wavelengths from the short-wave ultraviolet (230nm) through the near infrared (900nm),
commonly used to search for trace evidence at a crime scene) is an example of this. The
police photographer must have an understanding of how the camera can record not only the
visual and audio components of an interrogation or traffic stop but also how it can record
images at invisible ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) wavelengths. The police photographer
must also have a good working knowledge of other specialized techniques such as close-up
(macro) photographs, the effective use of fill-flash and bounce flash, and photography in less
than desirable conditions such as night-time with limited ambient lighting.
Identification bureaus are legislatively mandated to maintain criminal history records.
Historically, this meant huge file storage requirements and cadres of clerks to maintain and
search them. Demographic-based criminal history computers were established well ahead of
Automated Fingerprint Identification System190 (AFIS), first as IBM card sort systems and
then as all-digital information systems with terminals throughout the state and, via the
National Crime Information Center (NCIC) network and the National Law Enforcement
Teletype System (Nlets), throughout the nation. These automated criminal history systems
became even more labor-intensive than the paper record systems they supposedly replaced. In
many systems, more paper was generated and placed into the history jackets along with the
fingerprint cards, mug shots, warrants, and other required documents. AFIS revolutionized
state identification bureaus because it removed from the paper files the last document type
that could not previously be digitized—the fingerprint card. State identification bureaus could
now bring to their legislatures cost–benefit analyses that easily justified the purchase of an
automated fingerprint system through the reduction of clerical personnel. Local and county
189
http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/1177/Police-Photography.html accessed on 4th November 2014.
190
“Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS)” by Kenneth R. Moses, Contributing authors Peter
Higgins, Michael McCabe, Salil Prabhakar, Scott Swann available at
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/225326.pdf accessed on 24th January 2015.

33
jurisdictions did not usually enjoy the economic benefits of state systems. Pre-AFIS
personnel levels were often lower and controlled more by the demands of the booking
process than by file maintenance. AFIS generally increased staffing demands on the latent
and crime-scene-processing side because it made crime scene processing dramatically more
productive. Local and county AFIS purchases were usually justified on the basis of their
crime-solving potential.
The face recognition191 technology enables the police to track and capture single or
multiple images of faces of persons when they move through an area covered from all
angles by the cameras. The faces that are captured by the surveillance cameras are
compared with the suspects’ photos in police files. The photos of wanted persons and others
who are stored in the criminal database of various law-enforcement agencies will be
identified by the facility. If the face of a person which appears in the surveillance camera
matches with the visuals of the person in the police records, then the system will
immediately give an automatic alert. According to police officials, the suspects cannot fool
the system by varying one’s facial expressions, altering posture, making changes to
hairstyle, growing a beard or by wearing glasses. ‘’The only method to evade the system is
by covering one’s face entirely. However, such cases will immediately arouse suspicion,”
said a police officer.
Thermal face scan (measures the internal temperature of your face relative to the
eternal room temperature.)192 Thermal imaging technology offers law enforcement officers
the ability to see their surroundings in a brand new way, offering an identifiable and reliable
“heat picture” of their environment. With the help of thermal imagers, officers can more
effectively manage surveillance activities, locate and apprehend suspects, investigate crime
scenes and conduct search and rescue operations. Proper use of the technology has been
shown to help officers detect potential dangers and stay safer on the job. Officers trained to
use thermal imagers have a range of abilities not available with light intensification (night
vision) or flashlights. While thermal imagers are similar to night vision in that they assist an
officer with seeing his environment, these devices work on an entirely different principle.
Light amplification products amplify existing light, and thermal imagers detect long wave

191
“Cops keenly await nod for Face-Recognition Tech” by Lakshmi
Mohan available at
http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/Cops-keenly-
await-nod-for-Face-recognition-Tech/2013/11/12/article1885292.ece accessed
on 27th January 2014.
192
S. Indira Sudha & Ajay Gakary (2008), Vision for “Police 2010” and “Police2020”, A Paper presented at
38th All India Police Science Congress, on 28-29th January, in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

34
infrared, or heat. A TI detects objects and people that emit heat, regardless of light
conditions, and the picture is unaffected by light, clothing or inclement weather. Typically,
hotter objects show as white, cooler objects show as black, and objects between these
temperatures are displayed in shades of gray193.
E-policing to M-Policing: The project ‘Dial 100’ has been implemented. Mobile
policing has multiple advantages in information gathering and collation, resulting in effective
and speedier detection of crimes. New methodologies are required to be adopted to deal with
emerging and newer forms of crimes. Integrated communication linking with computer wing
(IT) structurally should be taken up on priority. All forms of capturing personnel information
should include contact mobile numbers while asking for name and address etc. Information
relating to availability and capability of emerging technologies should be made available to
the end users (investigating agencies) so that they can make effective use of modern
technologies in investigation of crimes. The investigation agencies should be properly trained
for preservation of exhibits for use in modern technologies and also to maintain integrity of
exhibits lifted from the scene of crime.
Social Media: A large majority of police agencies (83 percent) use social media to
share information with the public. Facebook was the social media platform cited most often,
used by 74 percent of all agencies, followed by YouTube (34 percent). As social media
applications have mushroomed in popularity, police departments have been exploring ways in
which they can use social media to communicate with the public. CP Officers discussed the
benefits and challenges of using social media. As per survey, 83% of respondents said they
use social media to share information with the public, and 70% said they use social media to
receive information from the public. Facebook page are very useful for getting and giving
information to the public. Police across the globe are active on Facebook and Twitter and also
have used YouTube. Our Home Page is one page, that’s it. It pops up and everything is there
including links to Facebook and Twitter.
Brain fingerprinting is a computer-based test that is designed to discover, document,
and provide evidence of guilty knowledge regarding crimes, and to identify individuals with
a specific training or expertise such as members of dormant terrorist cells or bomb makers.
It has also been used to evaluate brain functioning as a means of early detection of
Alzheimer's and other cognitively degenerative diseases, and to evaluate the effectiveness
of advertising by measuring brain responses. It is a forensic science technique that

193
http://www.bullard.com/V3/products/thermal_imaging/law_enforcement/training/articles/0002.php accessed
on 5th December 2014.

35
uses electroencephalography (EEG) to determine whether specific information is stored in a
subject's brain by measuring electrical brainwave and recording MERMER memory and
encoding related multifaceted electroencephalographic response to words, phrases, or
pictures that are presented on a computer screen. Brain fingerprinting was invented
by Lawrence Farwell.
Wireless Video Streaming: Transmitting video for example, from the scene of a major
incident to a command centre has become a critical issue in policing because video requires
substantially more wireless broadband capacity than many other types of data transmissions
over the airwaves.
Apart from the above mentioned technologies number of other technologies also exist
worldwide including surveillance (laser/photo radar, night vision devices, CCTV cameras,
cellular tracking system) security scanners (vehicle scanning system, container scanner
system, mobile vehicle scanning system); explosive detector (remote explosive detector
system, automatic explosive detector system, multi-check scanners ); Suicide Bomb
Jammer194 and new weapons like
o A radio-frequency weapon is designed to heat people’s skin with a 95 GHz
microwave beam. It causes severe pain but no damage.
o Portable heat compliance weapon used as a semiconductor laser for force
protection, crowd control, and access denial.

3.6 New Technologies adopted by Chandigarh Police

In order to keep pace with the growing needs of the city, Chandigarh Police (CP) has
taken many steps towards strengthening its infrastructure and management of traffic. With
the passage of time CP has equipped himself with a number of new technologically advanced
gadgets. The city witnesses frequent protests and demonstrations, where thousands of people
converge on the city. For examples, earlier, during the protests, the police put on the
traditional anti-riot-gear —a shield and a baton—and tried to disperse the mob. But now, the
Chandigarh Police have procured a sophisticated state-of-the art anti-riot vehicle ‘Vajra’, that
can protect the personnel engaged in restoring normalcy while effectively quelling the mob.
The vehicle is protected from all sides against any stone-pelting and is completely sealed with
special glass so that tear gas does not affect the personnel. Also, there is a vent for a single
person to pop out of the vehicle for operational purposes and operate the tear shell guns

194
www.indiamart.com accessed on 24th January 2010.

36
manually while keeping surveillance on the situation. Further, the Chandigarh Police now has
several water cannons with it for dispersing the mob without causing any serious injury.
Inclusive list of technologies (based on data collection195) used by Chandigarh Police

An inclusive list of technologies used by Chandigarh Police196 has been made by the
data collected through primary and secondary data by the researcher.

 All police stations are computerized (Local Area Network, LAN & Wide Area
Network, WAN). A LAN connects network devices over a relatively short distance.
The Police Headquarter is networked office building, contains a single LAN. They
also tend to use certain connectivity technologies. A WAN spans a large physical
distance. A WAN is a geographically-dispersed collection of LANs. A network
device called a router connects LANs to a WAN. In IP networking, the router
maintains both a LAN address and a WAN address. Thus, all the Police stations are
connected to headquarters through WAN.
 CCTV in Police Stations: To maintain the highest professional standards, ensure
transparency in working and making a corruption free force, CCTV cameras have
been installed in all police stations of Chandigarh. It covers the entrance of Police
Station, Duty Officer’s room, Male and Female lock-up, Record room, Corridors
and SHO’s room. The system is having a storage capacity of about 20 days, which is
useful to monitor the facility, recover any evidence and long term information for the
department in various Court Cases/ Enquiries.
 GPS (Global Positioning System) unit at headquarter in Sector-9, Chandigarh197. With
the launch of GPS, Chandigarh Police went a step ahead in using technology for
effective policing. The system has brought down the response time of police control
room vans in reaching crime spots and monitors their movement from the police
headquarters. Chandigarh has become the third city in the country after Delhi and
Mumbai to acquire this system.

195
Dr. Jaswinder Kaur & Namit Kumar, titled “Technology-Driven-Policing: A Study of Chandigarh
Police”, in “Panjab University Research Journal (Arts)”, April-October 2011, Vol. XXXVIII, Nos. 1&2, p. 161-
70.
196
“Chandigarh Police get Hi-Tech Gadgets to Combat Cyber Crime” available at www.thaindian.com
accessed on 05 July 2010.
197
“Chandigarh Police Headquarters in Sector 9 Goes Hi-tech with GPS Technology” available at
www.merachandigarh.in accessed on 14th January 2010.

37
 Figure No. 3.1
GPS at Police Headquarter

Tech-Tinge: X-Ray baggage checking machine at Chandigarh Police Headquarters.

Figure No. 3.2
X-Ray Baggage Checking Machine

 Close Supervision on Markets and Traffic: The hi-tech CCTV cameras installed by
the Chandigarh Police at several vital points in the city keep a keen eye on motorists
and captures various traffic rules violators such as zebra crossing violations, jumping
the traffic light, driving without seat belt, using mobile phone while driving, etc.

38
 Figure No. 3.3
Installation of CCTV in the City

39
 CCTV in Police Stations: To maintain the highest professional standards, ensure
transparency in working and making a corruption free force, CCTV cameras have
been installed in all police stations of Chandigarh. It covers the entrance of Police
Station, Duty Officer’s room, Male and Female lock-up, Record room, Corridors

40
 and SHO’s room. For better monitoring of police functioning these cameras have
further been connected with the computers of Senior Officers at Police Headquarters.
Senior Officer’s as well as the Police Control Room are monitoring working of any
police station at any time with just a click of mouse. The system is having a storage
capacity of about 20 days, which is useful to monitor the facility, recover any
evidence and long term information for the department in various Court Cases/
Enquiries. To have an eye on crime these has been installed at various places in the
city as well. It has become sharper with the introduction of improvised technology.
 Security Wing: X-ray baggage machine, HHMDs, jammers, bullet proof vehicles,
state-of-the-art anti-sabotage equipments like EVDs, NLJDs, etc., and highly
sophisticated weapons like assault rifles, light machine guns, glock pistols, INSAS
rifles etc to provide full proof security to the protected persons.
Figure No. 3.4
Security Wing of Chandigarh Police

 Light Armoured Troops Carrier (LATC), to handle any terror attack in the city. It is
named 'Kavach' which is a bullet proof and air-conditioned vehicle which can ferry
six commandos, a driver and a wireless operator, all armed with assault rifles to fight
terrorists hiding at any place. The bullet and explosive-proof vehicle will be 'used to
ferry commandos of a crack team to any spot instantly in case of any Mumbai like
terror attack where the terrorists positioned themselves in hotels and buildings’.

41
 Chandigarh is among the few cities in the country to have acquired LATC. It provides
all-round protection against Self-Loading Rifles and AK 47 rifles and also ensured
protection from hand grenades. The tyres of LATC are also bullet proof. It will also
be used during the visits of VVIP's and other high profile dignitaries as the vehicle
will be part of their cavalcades.
Figure No. 3.5
Light Armoured Troops Carrier (KAVACH)

 Autopounds: Chandigarh has the highest per capita vehicle ownership in the country
and the traffic police has to grapple with the parking problems emanating from the
same. Campaigns to combat wrong parking focus on keeping the circulation space
within parking lots free of parked vehicles, on segregating two-wheelers from four-
wheelers to optimize the utilization of parking space, on proper utilization of
underground parking lots, on towing vehicles parked in an obstructive fashion and on
using innovative enforcement tools like 'wrong parking sticker challans. The traffic
police has recently established an Autopound each in Sector 17 & 34 - the two
commercial hubs of the city. This has facilitated easy towing of vehicles as most areas
that are being monitored for wrong parking are located in and around these 2 sectors.
The convenient location of the auto pound also makes it easier for the people to get
their vehicles released after payment of compounding fee and towing charges
applicable.
Figure No. 3.6

42
 Autopounds

 Flashers: The traffic police use flashers for warning motorists about approaching
traffic hazards. The flashers are especially useful at the time of late hour speed naka
checking to warn the approaching motorists about the barriers deployed for slowing
down vehicles.
Figure No. 3.7
Flashers

 Reflective jackets: The traffic police use 200 special reflective jackets for late hour
traffic regulation and naka checking. This increases visibility of the traffic staff and
thus makes it safer for them to man the roads.

Figure No. 3.8

Reflective jackets

43
 Road Safety Cones: The traffic police utilize 50 PVC traffic cones with reflective
sleeves to earmark parking enclosures or to warn traffic about hazardous spots. The
cones are also utilized for guiding traffic during late hour naka checking.
Figure No. 3.9
Road Safety Cones

 LED Light Batons: The traffic police is equipped with 200 LED Light traffic control
batons that have high visibility and are useful for directing traffic at night and during
late evening hours. The baton has a weather resistant body made of ABS high-impact
plastic and the tube is made of PC transparent material. The baton also makes the
traffic cop more visible to motorists thus increasing his safety.
Figure No. 3.10
LED Light Batons

 Alco-sensors: The traffic police is equipped with 11 alco-sensor devices for testing
the Blood Alcohol concentration levels of drivers on the basis of their breath samples.

44
 The traffic police uses the 'Alco-Sensor IV' model manufactured by the U.S. based -
Intoximeters Incorporated. Alcosensor IV is an automated handheld breath alcohol
instrument. It offers a simple, accurate and economical method of determining a
subject's breath/blood alcohol level.
Figure 3.11
Alco-Sensor

 Digital Still Cameras: The traffic police is equipped with 5 digital still cameras for
recording photographic evidence of traffic violations. The 3.2 megapixel Kodak
cx7300 camera is easy to use and the photographs that are clicked are transferred to
the computer hard discs on a daily basis.
Figure No. 3.12
Digital Still Cameras

 Handy cams: The traffic police is equipped with 5 state-of-the-art high megapixel
Sony Handy cams complete with extra infolithium rechargeable batteries, 20 times
zoom, night shot capability, memory stick and digital still camera facility. The Handy
cams are deployed with the interceptor vehicles and are used for recording video

45
 graphic evidence of traffic violations and episodes of unruly conduct by the offenders
at the time of challaning.
Figure No. 3.13
Handy Cam

 Lux Meters: The traffic police has inducted 5 handy light meters/lux meters to
measure the light transmission of window glasses of cars. The German made
MASTECH Ms-6610 is a digital lux meter capable of measuring light of intensity
varying from 1 to 5 lakh lux. The device uses a simple photo detector and has a
measuring accuracy of +/- 5%. The traffic police has also verified the accuracy by
using comparison samples prepared with the help of CSIO, Chandigarh.
Figure 3.14
Lux Meters

46
 Speed Radars: The traffic police use state-of-the-art 'Falcon' Speed Radars
manufactured by Kustom Signals, Inc. of U.S.A. The handy radar has sturdy cast
aluminium housing and is lightweight and easy to operate. The traffic police use the
main interceptor vehicle battery to power the radar for long periods. The traffic police
is in the process of acquiring 2 Giant LCD Display panels that shall display the speed
of vehicles on a screen visible till 200 yards for greater transparency. The Giant
displays shall be also used for educating motorists and make them aware about their
speed violations.
Figure No. 3.15
Speed Radar

 Cyber Crime Unit at Sector-11, Chandigarh. The Cyber Crime Investigation Cell of
Chandigah Police keeps a strict vigil on internet-related fraud cases, online
harassment and several other cyber related cases.

47
 Figure No. 3.16
Cyber Crime Investigation

o Internet (e-mail, quick access, information)

o Faraday Bag (if mobile is put in a bag then it becomes unreachable for all
networks.)
o Cell Dek (if an accused has deleted the records from the phone memory then it
can retrieve the call details of dialed, received and missed call numbers from a
mobile. Even the sent and received messages can be retrieved.)
o PFL (Portable Forensic Lab machine can retrieve the data from any suspected
drives and hard disks198)
 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)199 assists the police in maintaining surveillance in
times of demonstrations, disaster management and VVIP security. It is also known
as ‘eye in the sky’. The Chandigarh Police became the country’s first police force to
induct on a trial basis. UAVs, equipped with a high-power small camera to record
the activities on the ground, are mainly used by armies around the world for
surveillance and reconnaissance purposes. The remote control-operated machine is
attached to a computer for keeping surveillance of a particular area. The device,
which generally weighs three kg, flies approximately 100 m from ground for about
half-an-hour. "`Golden Hawk` weighs 625 gm. `Golden Hawk`, having a speed of
10 to 15 m per second, has an operational range of two km. It has an operational
altitude of 100 metres and can fly for 30 minutes, DRDO scientist Harish Chandra
said. "It can down load images at night time as well. The images captured by the

198
www.thaindian.com accessed on 24th January 2011.
199
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110421/chd.htm accessed on 13 th September 2014.

48
 camera are transmitted to the Ground Control Room (GCR). After flying for half-
and-hour, the machine automatically returns to its base.
 Internet Protocol (Earlier they have to go manually for the detail of data to the mobile
companies and now they just have to mail it to the concern company and get response
immediately. No doubt it saves time too)
 Wireless Connectivity (PCR comes immediately)
 Forensic lab, Sector- 36, Chandigarh (Lie detector, DNA test, Chemical Examiner
Test, Hand Writing Test, Voice Recording)
 Alert and Agile: The Chandigarh Police personnel guard the city 24X7 with latest
gadgets, dog squads and security equipments. During national functions or other
important events, city police further tightens the noose of security and undertakes
major checking exercises in the city. This exercise is aimed at avoiding any untoward
incident as well as to check the movement of anti-social elements. The safety and
security of the citizens is the top priority of the Chandigarh Police.
 Shot in the Arm: Chandigarh Police is equipped with sophisticated arms and
ammunition. Chandigarh Police has been upgrading its weapons and now it has state-
of-the-art weaponry comparable to the best in the world.
 Water cannon vehicle is deployed to break up non-permitted demonstrations or
control an unruly mob. The machine can discharge 1,800 to 2,250 litres of water per
minute, travelling with a force of nearly 5 kg per sq inch on the target.
Figure No. 3.17
Water Cannon

49
 Mobile Canteen: The Chandigarh Police mobile canteen is pressed into service to
provide food to police personnel on duty, especially during important occasions, like
the visit of a VIP to the city, when they do not get time to leave their positions.
Figure No. 3.18
Mobile Canteen

 The Chandigarh Police has launched mobile control room & workshop which is very
useful during special duties like Republic Day and Independence Day celebration,
VVIP duties and during demonstration rallies and protests. This control room is fitted
with wireless sets of different frequencies and PA systems.
Figure No. 3.19
Mobile Control Room

50
  Vajra (Water Tank) is an anti-riot vehicle has been inducted in the armoury of
Chandigarh Police. Vajra is suitable for law enforcement duties and transportation of
security forces along with their riot control gear as it can fire several teargas shells in
quick succession.
Figure No. 3.20
Vajra

Apart from the technologies discussed above, a number of other initiatives are also
taken for making Chandigarh Police more advanced in its working. In the following
paragraphs an attempt has been made to discuss these initiatives.
On 12th August 2014 to strengthen and modernization of Chandigarh Police, 50
Apache M/Cycles and 9 Bullet M/Cycles have been added to the fleet of vehicles against
condemnation of 92 vehicles. Efforts are being made to procure the remaining vehicles as and
when more funds are released by the Government of India. These vehicles have been
purchased due to better mileage and high pick-up as compared to greater fuel consumption of
Royal Enfield bullet motorcycles. Most of these vehicles will be made available to the Police
Stations, Police Posts, PCR and Chandigarh Traffic Police & Security Wing to augment their
efficiency. These will enable the PCR to respond better to distress calls by reducing the time
taken to reach the spot and by better maneuvering the congested streets in various colonies

51
and villages. Beside this, two new Recovery Vans have also been inducted into the
Chandigarh Traffic Police200.
The Chandigarh Traffic Police is already having facilities like Facebook
page(www.facebook.com/trafficpolicechd), Website (chandigarhtrafficpolice.org), Traffic
Help Line (1073), You Tube videos (www.youtube.com/user/trafficpolicechd), road safety
exhibition vans etc. wherein the citizens can directly and easily interact with the Chandigarh
Traffic Police for various traffic related complaints, suggestions etc.
In a step ahead in M-Policing, the WhatsApp (internet application) messenger service
of Chandigarh Traffic Police was also launched to further enhance the community policing
drive of the Chandigarh Traffic Police. The Chandigarh Traffic Police WhatsApp Application
number is 9779580985. This innovative idea of launching WhatsApp messenger service for
the citizen’s participation has boosted the confidence in citizens. This messenger service may
be used by the general public for sharing of:-
 Logical and meaningful traffic related suggestions.
 Specific information about traffic congestion.
 Specific information about traffic accidents.
 Traffic violation images with date, time and place of violation alongwith sender’s
complete name and address, in order to take legal action against the violator201.
In a step towards providing more sensitive & professional policing to the women of city
beautiful, Rape Crisis Intervention Centre has been set up in Chandigarh Police at Women
&Child Safety Unit, Sec-17 Chandigarh. This Centre will handle the investigation of Rape
cases more professionally and with sensitivity and to provide counselling to the rape victims.
This initiative has been taken under the guidance of IGP/UT/Chandigarh for providing legal,
medical, psychological & financial support to the victim to rehabilitate them. This unit will
consist of one chief coordinator, one coordinator, and three expert counsellors, including
psychologist, four advocates and two doctors/psychiatrist202.
On 1st February 2014, Police-Public interaction with 60 different representatives of
Resident Welfare Associations affiliated with Federation of Sectors Welfare Association
Chandigarh (FOSWAC) was held at Traffic Auditorium, Traffic lines, Sector 29, Chandigarh.
The main theme of the meeting was about the law & order and traffic congestion. The
Chairman, FOSWAC said that Chandigarh Police has adopted modern technology and gone

200
http://chandigarhpolice.nic.in/pdf/press-release/aug120814.pdf accessed on 13th January 2015.
201
http://chandigarhpolice.nic.in/pdf/press-release/jul310714.pdf accessed on 13th January 2015.
202
http://chandigarhpolice.nic.in/pdf/press-release/june060614-rapecrisis.pdf accessed on 13th January 2015.

52
tech savvy. Besides at present 20 DSPs are in position and several hundred additional police
personals have also joined and thus the police is fully equipped to maintain law and order. He
further suggested that the city has a compact area with 2/3rd of the population residing in
sectors which have limited cases of the crimes and the police has to concentrate to check the
crimes in colonies, slum areas and some villages where 1/3rd population is residing. He
suggested that the police should employ unemployed youths as volunteers (CPOs) in the
neighbourhood security work by paying them small allowance for their services. He
suggested that the Chandigarh Police should have a comprehensive traffic plan in
consultation with experts to solve the growing problem of traffic congestion, parking and
frequent road accidents. He also appreciated the action of the police in uploading the details
and information of FIRs with entire crime data and comparative figures of the preceding
years on Website which will go a long way in bringing transparency and accountability in
police functioning203.
An open interaction session was conducted where about many members raised
different suggestions and problems relating to law and order and traffic congestion which
were replied and noted accordingly. Higher officials informed that the police force and the
infrastructure available in the city are satisfactory to tackle the offences and assured the
delegates to address their problems and bringing improvement wherever required. SSP,
Chandigarh informed that a new scheme “Know Your Case” has been launched where
SDPOs will take the feedback and if any citizen not satisfied with them then they can met
with SSP Chandigarh on Wednesday. He further shared that we are going to take efficiency
in cyber crime by making the high tech lab in Cyber Cell. SSP Chandigarh assured that
appropriate action will be taken on the problems listed in the memorandum and that of
suggested out by the members in the meeting204.
On 26.2.2014, Senior Superintendent of Police, U.T., hold a meeting with the beat
staff of all police stations which was attended by all SDPOs, DSP Crime, all SHOs, all I/C
PPs, all Division officers and beat staff at Police Lines, Sector-26, Chandigarh205. The
following instructions/directions were issued in the said meeting.
 Beat Staff was directed to strictly adhere the timing in their beat boxes.
 They were directed to maintain/update all registers and lists related to their
beats.

203
chandigarhpolice.gov.in/pdf/press-release/feb010214.pdf accessed on 13th January 2015.
204
http://chandigarhpolice.nic.in/pdf/press-release/feb010214.pdf accessed on 13th January 2015.
205
http://chandigarhpolice.gov.in/pdf/press-release/feb260214.pdf accessed on 13th January 2015.

53
  They have been directed to keep close watch on bad elements, History
sheeters, criminals residing in their areas.
 They were also directed to keep liaison with the Resident Welfare Association,
Market Welfare Association and CLG members for motivating them to keep
chowkidars in their areas and also to install CCTV camera in the front of
residence/shops.
 They were directed to visit Senior citizens, residing in their areas.
At the end of meeting, SSP/UT, Chandigarh motivated the officers and officials to
perform their duties with keen interest and devotion206. The National Road Safety Week is
observed in January every year all over the country to inculcate the culture of road safety
amongst the citizens. In 2014,it is being observed from 11 to 17th January, 2014 and the
theme of week is “When on the road, always say ‘Pehle Aap’207 .
In a major step towards creation of comprehensive and integrated system for
enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing through adopting the principle of e-
governance and for better citizen services Chandigarh Police launched the ambitious Crime
and Criminal Tracking Network & System (CCTNS) Project at all Police Stations of
Chandigarh. The CAS under CCTNS has been developed by the Union Ministry of Home
Affairs for sharing information on crime and criminals among nearly 14,000 police stations
and 6000 higher offices in the country. CCTNS aims at creation of a nation-wide networking
infrastructure for evolution of IT enabled sophisticated tracking system around 'investigation
of crime and detection of criminals. The project will help the police in tracking crimes and
criminals and facilitate growth of information technology sector.208
On 17th June 2013, the renovated website of Chandigarh Police was launched at
Police Headquarters, Sector-9. Chandigarh Police is committed towards providing a safe and
secure environment to all its citizens. Chandigarh Police is working hard to ensure that
quality policing services are provided to the citizens in the most citizen friendly and hassle
free manner. As part of this commitment, Chandigarh police has launched a new citizen
friendly website: www.chandigarhpolice.gov.in. While creating this website, the needs and
requirements of the public at large were specifically kept in mind. All details about
proclaimed offenders, missing persons, unidentified dead bodies, look out notices, most
wanted criminals as well as crime and traffic accident statistics are readily available on the

206
http://chandigarhpolice.nic.in/pdf/press-release/feb260214.pdf accessed on 13th January 2015.
207
http://chandigarhpolice.nic.in/pdf/press-release/jan130114.pdf accessed on 13th January 2015.
208
Nigehbaan, Newsletter by Chandigarh Police available at http://chandigarhpolice.nic.in/our-newsletter.html
accessed on 13th December 2014.

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website for all to see. Also, keeping in view the welfare of the Chandigarh Police employees,
an employee portal has been set up in which information about various employee related
matters like promotions, seniority list, police pool house allotment, e-salary, police hospital,
police training, welfare schemes, etc. is available online. Similarly, the transfer orders are
also uploaded on the website. Additionally, This includes the schedule of mobile police
stations locations, “Know your case” day and other programmes, etc. A new service “FIR
copy download” are also provided through this new website to the public. With this feature
anyone can download the copy of FIR.
For the awareness of women empowerment, Chandigarh police has undertaken a
unique initiative by arranging an event of 6 over cricket match between IPL Punjab XI team
and ladies cricket team of Infosys at the Infosys campus on 07.05.2013. International
cricketer Shaun Marsh, Manpreet Singh Gony, Mandeep Singh, David Miller and Adam
Gilchrist also participated in the event. The initiative has been appraised. On 06.04.2013, one
day Awareness Programme on HIV/AIDS for Chandigarh Police personnel was organized in
Recruit Training Centre, Sector-26, Chandigarh. 150 Police officials from various units of
Chandigarh Police attended this programme.
On 01.01.2014, as a part of modernizing the Chandigarh Police, a Mobile Control
Room /Mini Wireless Workshop was launched at Chandigarh Police Headquarters. This
mobile wireless workshop would be very useful during special duties i.e. Republic Day and
Independence Day celebration, VVIP duties and during demonstration rallies and Dhanas in
the city for distribution of wireless sets, replacement of batteries and technical trouble
shooting on the spot. Beside workshop, this mobile van is fitted with wireless sets of different
frequencies and PA system which will also function as a Mini Control Room in case of any
emergency. One Aska Light is also provided in the vehicle to help the local police in case of
electricity failure during night. Senior Police Officers of Chandigarh Police were also present
at the time of launching this Mobile Wireless workshop.

3.7 Conclusion
Technology remains a central focus in the organization and practices of policing. As a
result of the technological advancements in the society at large has transformed the
functioning of policing agencies by increasing use and dependence on technology. Modern
society has expanded and become more interconnected, producing a new context within
which law enforcement must operate. In part, these changes in addition to old challenges

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have motivated the adoption of new technology by police. These advancements have also
facilitated international cooperation amongst law enforcement, with technologies enhancing
the institutional autonomy needed for police agencies to cooperate across national borders.
These technologies include not only advances in communication and transportation methods,
but also pertain to the means of criminal identification which evolved into various forms that
can be communicated among police of different jurisdictions. Technological advancements
have not only provided police the tools by which to engage in collaboration, they have also
provided an impetus for police collaboration by influencing the internationalization of crime.
The means of communication, criminal identification and transportation among police
regionally and internationally have been central to the transformation of policing. These
advancements began as steps towards addressing the everyday issues in policing. What was
once the lone patrolman armed with a whistle and baton, walking his beat without oversight
or coordination and often strongly connected with political power, has become a professional
police institution that is now endeavours to achieve its goal of crime control efficiently. Thus
developed a police that organizes patrol with automobiles and two-way radios, and that relies
on identification methods using photographs and fingerprints and can share information
across jurisdictions with the use of telegraphs, telephones, and E-mail. Changes in the means
of policing have also directly addressed technologically-enabled changes in society,
specifically the growing societal mobility which made individuals harder to identify, the
larger geographic space which made beat patrols cost prohibitive and ineffective, and the
inability of the early police to coordinate their actions. Since that time, even more
advancements in technology have further changed the institution of law enforcement.
Undoubtedly, policing will continue to adapt to the changing circumstances that are brought
about by technological advancements.
The future of police technology seems limitless, with the rapid advances in
technology. There are scientists working on cyborg technology, and Raytheon has developed
an exoskeleton system that already enables the wearer to carry up to 200lbs of weight without
tiring the body. Applied to law enforcement, this technology can be designed to armor a
person, and provide extra strength, speed, and body power, capable of making officers more
resilient to bodily harm. Computer databases will be available globally one day, giving
criminals more difficulty in hiding from law enforcement. Police technology has come a long
way in a short period of time with the advancement of evidence technology, database and
information technology and police safety technology and it has become harder for criminals

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to get away with committing crime. The criminals of the future will have little or no chance
of evading law enforcement.
The policing profession is undergoing a period of great change, caused in large part
by the many new types of technologies that help police officers to work more efficiently.
Today’s officers can instantly pull up information about suspects on computers in their patrol
cars or on smart phones. They can analyze data about crime and offenders and
neighbourhood demographics to the point where it becomes possible to predict the likelihood
of crimes being committed at certain locations and certain times. Police agencies with license
plate readers can get information about where a suspect’s vehicle has been driven or parked
lately. And when a crime is committed, chances are there may be one or more video
recordings at the scene or nearby that can shed light on the investigation. Many of these
technologies are still relatively young, and some have not yet been widely adopted. Other
new technologies with applications for policing no doubt will be invented in coming years.
To the extent that technology is changing the nature of police work, it is also changing the
qualities and desirable qualifications for tomorrow’s police officers and police chiefs. In the
future, the police profession will have a greater need for imaginative thinkers who can create
new ways to apply technological devices, or to combine several different types of technology
in order to advance a crime fighting purpose. New technologies will also increase the need
for researchers and analysts who can advise police chiefs about which technologies work best
in real terms. There are many technologies available, and some are expensive, so police
agencies increasingly will need to make good choices about where to invest their limited
financial resources. A surveillance camera may produce clear, sharp images— but does it
actually help to solve or prevent crimes? License plate readers clearly are much more
efficient than officers at quickly inputting plate numbers into a computer—but how often
does that result in stolen cars being recovered, or suspects apprehended? These are the types
of questions police departments are already asking, and will be focusing on more in the
future. The weak economy is impacting the deployment of technology in policing in
conflicting ways. On one hand, one know that police department budget cuts are causing
reductions in force in many communities, and technology is helping short staffed departments
to maintain and even improve services. On the other hand, police budgets for purchasing and
maintaining technology are being cut like everything else. Chandigarh Police has been
continuously striving to keep the city safe and secure. Its various units like crime wing,
Operation Cell, Security Wing, Traffic Police, etc. keep working round the clock to provide
best policing services to the citizens.

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