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EYE ON THE FUTURE

NCJ Number
54784
Journal
Police Review Dated: (JUNE 1978) Pages: 928-929,939
Author(s)
J HULBERT
Date Published
1978
Length
3 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A SURVEY OF SUPERINTENDENTS AND CHIEF INSPECTORS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM ON THEIR VIEWS ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE FUTURE USE OF TECHNOLOGY ON CRIME AND POLICE WORK.
Abstract
A SAMPLE CONSISTING OF THE MAJORITY (EXACT NUMBER NOT SPECIFIED) OF SUPERINTENDENTS AND CHIEF INSPECTORS WAS SURVEYED IN A DELPHIC POLL IN THE UNITED KINGDOM WHICH CONTAINED QUESTIONS DEALING WITH SUBJECTS WHICH INCLUDED THE WIDESPREAD USE OF IDENTITY CARDS, THE 20-HOUR WORKING WEEK, CHANGES IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, HAND-HELD COMPUTERS FOR BEAT OFFICERS, TERMINALS IN CONTROL CARS, AND THE USE OF COMPUTERS BY CRIMINALS. MANY OF THOSE INTERVIEWED EXPECTED THAT WITH THE RAPID ADVANCE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, THOSE UNTRAINED IN SKILLS NEEDED FOR THE ECONOMIC MARKETS THAT WILL EMERGE WILL BE UNEMPLOYED, CREATING INTENSE SOCIAL UNREST THAT WILL REQUIRE INCREASED POLICE ACTIVITY. RESPONDENTS BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE FIRST DEVELOPMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY AFFECTING POLICE WORK WILL BE THAT OF FULL CRIMINAL AND COLLATOR RECORDS THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY WITHIN ONE MINUTE THROUGH A COMPUTER SYSTEM. THIS IS EXPECTED BY 1983. BY 1987, IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE MAJORITY OF POLICE TRAINING WILL BE DONE ON SMALL, CHEAP COMPUTER TERMINALS, IT IS ALSO EXPECTED THAT IN THAT SAME YEAR WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN THE EMPHASIS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY FROM CRIMES INVOLVING CASH TO THOSE PROVIDING ILLEGAL ECONOMIC GAIN THROUGH TAMPERING WITH ELECTRONIC MONEY TRANSACTIONS. SINCE THE ELIMINATION OF THE USE OF CASH IN TRANSACTIONS IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR IN BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS FIRST, IT IS EXPECTED THAT THOSE SKILLED IN DIRECT THEFT OF CASH BEING UNSKILLED IN THE MANIPULATION OF COMPUTER OPERATIONS WILL DIVERT THEIR ACTIVITY TOWARD THEFT FROM PRIVATE PERSONS AND RESIDENCES. BY 1990, IT IS BELIEVED THE MAJORITY OF POLICE CARS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH FULL COMPUTER TERMINALS, AND BY THAT SAME YEAR, PORTABLE COMPUTERS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR BEAT OFFICERS, ENABLING THEM TO CARRY VALUABLE BRIEFING AND CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION. BY THE YEAR 2,000 MANDATORY IDENTIFICATION CARDS ARE PREDICTED, NOT AS A RESULT OF LEGISLATION, BUT THROUGH THE EVOLUTION OF THE CREDIT CARD TO MANDATORY STATUS FOR ECONOMIC TRANSACTIONS. (RCB)

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