Essay Sample: Computer Applications in the Field of Criminal Justice

The introduction of the computer into criminal justice

The introduction of the computer into criminal justices has transformed that sector tremendously. So far, the computer has enabled the witnesses to go through and look for a suspect picture on the screen. This is only one of the many ways in which the modern technology has benefited that institution. In that past, it was difficult for the persecutors to present reliable evidence in the court's system since they had to use the manual systems of identifying the witness. This paper will discuss computer application in the field of criminal justice.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

The introduction of computer technology in the field of criminal justice has made it possible for the persecutors to carry out DNA test to verify the claims of certain individuals. What is more, it only takes a few minutes for the test result to be established. In that past, some court cases had to wait for a long period as the investigation is still carried on to determine the evidence presented. As such, it resulted to delay of justice for some people who could be innocent from that case. In addition, the computer system is installed with modern technology devices that give correct evidence when it comes to the use of DNA samples. Most of those tests are 97 percentages accurate (Moriarty, 2012).

Most of the police vehicles are installed with Laptop computers, which enables them to look up for information regarding a particular offender right on the spot. Before the introduction of the computer system in the field of criminal justice, the police were required to call back to the head office to get certain information regarding a particular person before being arrested or cleared of such offense. As such, it was dangerous for the police since they may not be sure about the past of that person before the head office sends them all the required information. Some cars are even installed with internet connectivity, which allows the police officer to verify all the information without any trouble (Fitzgerald, 2012). As such, the installation of laptops in the police vehicles has transformed the field of criminal justice.

Using of fingerprint is a unique technology

Computers have also allowed the use of fingerprints to verify information about an offender. The use of a fingerprint is a unique technology that requires a person to take a sample of his/her fingerprints and check if it matches with ones recorded the police department. As such, it has made it easy for the police officer to determine if a particular suspect has even been arrested in connection with a particular crime (Fitzgerald, 2012). The government has saved a huge amount of their resources through such technology since it saves the officers time and money of traveling back to the stations to verify the fingerprints of a particular suspects.

Criminal investigators can determine the cause of the fire in a place with computer technology. In the past, such cases were impossible to determine since the fire could have burned all the possible evidence regarding the cause of that fire. However, with such new devices, it would indicate the exact point where the fire started and indicate how it occurred. It has enabled the criminal investigators to carry out their functions effectively. Such information could also be presented in the courts since they are reliable and accurate. Also, the criminal investigators could determine if the course of that fire outbreak was intentional or not.

When it comes to tracking vehicles, the use of the computer in the field of criminal justice has made such actions possible. The criminal reports have indicated that the number of cars theft cases have reduced over the decades. In addition, most of the cars, which have been stolen in the recent years, have been recovered with computer technology. The government has ensured that all the cars in the country are recorded into the computer systems (Fitzgerald, 2012). As such, it makes it easier for the police officer to verify if a particular car belongs to a certain individual. What is more, the police officer can also get all the information regarding that vehicles within the shortest times possible.

The introduction of the computer technology

Before the introduction of the computer technology in the field of criminal justice, most of the data were being stored manually. As such, it was every easy for such data to be lost through misplacement or theft cases. Some cases have been presented to the court in which a particular file of a suspect was lost. Such issues affected the credibility of the police department as some of the people may criticize them has been corrupt (Fitzgerald, 2012). In some cases, the criminal has bribed certain police officers to steal and destroy their evidence. However, with the introduction of a computer system, all the information are stored in one huge database. Only a few numbers of people are permitted to access that information. In that light, it would be difficult for such data to be lost. Also, once such data are lost, it would be easy for the police officer to question the people responsible for protecting such information. However, in the recent years, the issue of cyber crimes has been on the increase. Cyber crimes are when a particular person can hack into the database of the police department and steal all the important information. The government has invested a huge amount of its resources on training people who would secure the systems from cyber crimes (Maxfield, 2010). Also, the storage of information with a computer has made it easier for the criminal investigators to find any evidence, which was sent between the two suspects.

The use of computers is also used to follow up suspects in dangerous places. The government has purchased various robots and drones that are used to survey particular places. In that connection, it has reduced the number of police causalities (Fitzgerald, 2012). Instead of sending a police officer to a dangerous place or to defuse a bomb, the criminal justice can use such robots. What is more, there are flying drone robots that give such police officers a bird's-eye view of a scene.

The government has installed various CCTV cameras in almost like the public places in the country as such; it has enabled to reduce the rate of criminal activities in the country. The CCTV cameras are controlled using a computer system, which can store live recording video for a certain period. If the criminal justices want to investigate a particular place, they could easily retrieve the information from such CCTV cameras through that computer system. Such live recording can also be presented in the courts of law to act as evidence concerning a particular crime (Fitzgerald, 2012). It has led to a reduction of criminal issues since people are afraid that the police are watching their movements. However, some people have sued the government that the use of such CCTV cameras is inflicting their rights of privacy. As such, they argue that the government needs to remove them.

Gunshot detection system

Gunshot detection system is another area that the use of computer technology has benefited the field of criminal justice. The system of electronic sensors enables the police officer to detect the direction a particular gun shot is come from. As such, it would enable them to act quickly and prevent more damage from happening. It is also good for their safety since a criminal may be aiming to shoot a police officer but end up being detected before he/she could fire the gun.

The criminal justice has also incurred several barriers while introducing the use of computer technology in that field. In that past, most of the departments were using the manual system for conducting business. As much as it was tiresome, most of the employees were used to carry out their worked without major issue. The introduction of these new technologies in the system entails the department to train more employees on how to use the new devices. As such, they faced various resistances, as some staff members were not ready to embrace new technology. Also, the government had to spend more resources in purchasing the new computer technology. Also, the court system was reluctant to use some of the evidence presented by the use of such computer as they believe it was not credible to base their judgment upon them. However, the court system started to use such evidence, after it was proved by some researchers regarding the credibility of the system.

The use of computer technology has created a good working relationship between the public and the criminal justice. With the social media, the department has been able to connect o the public in several ways. First, in the case of a problem, a person can contact the department directly through the social media (Mendelson, 2012). The use of social media has created a huge platform in which people can interact and connect with one another. in mots cases, people prefer using the social media to contact the criminal justice department since its more secure. Also, the department of criminal justice can interact with the public by outlining some of their services to them. As such, it creates a good working relationship with the people. In most cases, the public is known to have a poor relationship with the police due to various reasons. Some people are even afraid to go and report a particular case to the police officer since they are not sure of how the message would be accepted. In that light, such people could contact the department through the social media. What is more, the criminal justice department has employed several people whose work it to connect with the public through such platforms.

Case management

Case management is another area that computer technology has benefited the field of criminal justice. Criminology professional working within the court system can use the tracking numbers to gain quick access to important case and docket information (Mendelson, 2012). Also, the attorneys of certain individual will be able to know the date and time of when their clients would be required to be presented in the court. In the past, it required such attorneys to frequently check the schedule of the court cases, which was mostly presented manually. The computer system has also enabled the development of written and oral communication system in the courts. The computers used in the court are used to record all the information given by the certain witness, which may be used later for verification. Also, in case a person wants to appeal reading the judgment done for particular cases, such recording could also be used to verify the accountability of the case presented.

The use of GPS tracking devices is a type of computer technology that has benefited the field of criminal justice in various ways. First, during the transportation of criminals from one point to another, the police department usually put GPS devices on those vehicles to be able to locate the exact position and movement of the suspects. As such, it has ensured that suspects cannot be able to escape while in transport (Mendelson, 2012). Also, the tracking device enables the criminal investigators to verify the number of vehicles assigned to every station.

In conclusion, the use of computer technology has transformed the field of criminal justice tremendously. It has ensured efficiency in the system by helping the criminal investigators to carry out their function effectively. Also, the computer application is used in the court to verify the evidence presented by the persecutors. As such, it has made it easy for the judges to determine the accuracy of such evidence unlike what was being experienced in the past.

References

Fitzgerald, J. D., Cox, S. M., & Fitzgerald, J. D. (2012). Research methods and statistics in criminal justice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub.

Moriarty, L. J. (2012). Criminal justice technology in the 21st century. Springfield, Ill: Charles C. Thomas.

Maxfield, M. G., & Babbie, E. R. (2010). Research methods for criminal justice and criminology. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth.

Mendelson, D. E. (2012). Cybercrime: Federal criminal laws and digital evidence field guide. Hauppauge, N.Y: Nova Science Publishers.