With the latest terrorist attacks at Brussels Airport and subway just last month, all eyes were on Europe to see just how effectively they would handle the situation. It became quickly evident that a great deal has changed over the years, especially when it comes to the tracking of criminals.
In years gone by, police officials would have to rely on statements from witnesses and carry out manhunts in a somewhat tedious and often unrewarding manner. Today, social networking and latest tech go a long way to quickly and effectively nabbing criminals faster than your local police officer ever could.
Take the attack on Brussels Airport as an example-
Four suspects were swiftly identified, although one fled which lead to a manhunt that has been expertly aided by the latest technology and software.
Using the information provided by witnesses, authorities were able to employ sophisticated software and technology to scan social media and examine both images and footage collected from the scene and nearby. By networking and collaborating technologically with other law enforcement agencies, information could be quickly exchanged and translated, in a fraction of the time that it would have taken just a few years ago.
Latest tech is certainly saving lives. In fact using the latest tech and software available, authorities have already been able to locate an undetonated bomb and find their way to a property where terrorists were making bombs. Who would have thought that social networking and simply being connected could achieve all that!
Latest tech that helps law enforcement officials…
Facial recognition software is a fantastic tool that has proven itself to be invaluable in the law enforcement field. The software can effectively remove obscurities such as hats and sunglasses and the digital image remaining can then be scanned through all image data bases and social networking platforms. Match probability of facial recognition software is around 80 to 90%.
Social media is another great platform for finding clues, evidence and tips. Most law enforcement agencies will have a Twitter account, Facebook and similar. These can be used to track suspicious feed posts and to collect helpful assistance from local communities, although not all the posts are valuable and innocent people can be mistakenly identified (as in the misguided arrest of a Boston Marathon suspect)!
That being said, technology cannot do it all alone. It still needs the input and direction of humans, so fear not! The computers won’t be taking the place of our seasoned and hard working law enforcement professionals – just yet!
Do you ever provide tips via social networking platforms? Let us know what your thoughts are on using technology and software to track criminals. You also need to ensure that your data is securely backed up to the cloud and encrypted, you never know when you might need the back up to identify a crime within your business.