Crime and Crime Prevention in the Information Age

The power of Information Technology has now been acquired to assist in tasks that are important in the insurance that peoples’ lives are lived safely and happily – one example of this is the introduction of Technology in Policing and Prevent Crime.

Fingerprint Recognition Technology

The individual patterns of people’s fingerprints have always been used as a way of identifying people and connecting them to a crime or crime scene. But today, the process is no longer a matter of covering the tip of the finger with ink and pressing it down on paper then matching it to the one found at the scene by eye; technological advances mean that we know scan in the fingerprint electronically and use a database of logged fingerprints on a computer to find the match within minutes.  Fingerprint Recognition Technology can also be used as a way to lock up certain places or computers – with a specific fingerprint acting as the only key that can gain access. The fingerprint scanning system is also used in some airports in order to check if people are safe to board the plane.

The benefits of using Fingerprint Recognition Technology

• Using fingerprint scanners rather than paper and ink means it takes far less time to identify a match
• Fingerprint scanning is considered a very accurate and reliable method of identification
• Computers can be used to enhance the image of a fingerprint if it isn’t clear
• Fingerprint recognition can increase the security of important places or documents
• Provides a feeling of security for those who are worried about terrorists on planes, and could possibly put of those who are considering attempting to go on a plane with bad intentions

The detriments of using Fingerprint Recognition Technology

• When people’s fingertips are cut or burnt, their fingerprint is changed – and because only a fingerprint can be used, it can’t always be useful
• Fingerprint Recognition Technology can be very expensive to buy, especially to build into an existing system or building
• Fingerprint Scanners can produce errors – especially low costs systems
• Some people find the Fingerprint scanning process a time-wasting annoyance, and don’t believe it actually makes a real difference to the security levels

My Uses of Fingerprint Recognition Technology

I have never really been involved in any crime so haven’t had any proper experience with fingerprint recognition – but I have had my fingerprint scanned upon entering/leaving America in the airport. The process was simple and fast, and wasn’t too much of an inconvenience because I knew that they were doing it for a good reason; safety. The system ensures that the person boarding the plane doesn’t have a match to the fingerprint of a terrorist or criminal that may harm other people on the plane or in the country.  I do think the system is a good addition to technology in policing, though I know very little about how effective it has actually been and what real difference it has made, but I bet it makes the job of people working in forensics a lot easier, especially in addition to DNA identification.

Online Crime Mapping

Crime mapping is a method used by Police and Law Enforcement which involves plotting the places in which crimes have occurred on a map, in order to get a visual representation of the crime levels in an area, and they are especially effective when analysing crime. They are often put online in order for the public to see where the ‘problems’ are. But is this really a good thing?

The benefits of Online Crime Mapping

• It allows people the knowledge of where in their area there have been high levels of crime – so they can make informed decisions on where to live or visit
• The online crime map is very popular, and its popularity occasionally causes the site to crash
• People can monitor the progress and the effectiveness of the policing in their area in lowering the crime rate in high-crime places
• A crime map displays the crimes simply, just in numbers, so it easy to read and get an understanding of the crime levels
• The online crime map site also gives you information about who is on the patrol for your area and contact details for them – which may make some people feel safer and happier as they are more knowledgeable

The detriments of Online Crime Mapping

• Public crime maps over the internet can cause the prices of houses in what is considered a ‘high crime’ area, to drop
• People may become scared or very paranoid about the place that they live or the people who live in a particular area
• A police union chief said he believes that crime mapping being online and available to the public ‘will prove more useful for burglars planning their next crime’

My Uses of Online Crime Mapping

I have only ever looked at the online crime map as part of research for this piece, but I think the site is easy to use and the information is displayed clearly. I think the mapping must be a very useful tool for the police, but don’t think it should necessarily be on such open availability to the public – because, when looking at the crime map round my street, I personally get a bit suspicious about who has been doing these crimes in the neighbourhood and it makes me feel a bit concerned.

Home Security Systems

In 1969 the first home video security system was used and since then, a home security system can now be found on most homes in the Western World. The big difference is that now, instead of just video surveillance; home security has evolved to become a system made up of sensors, a control panel and an alert mechanism. They alert homeowners/ neighbours of an intrusion to the house by sounding an alert when one of the sensors is triggered and aim to protect against burglary and property damage.

The benefits of Home Security Systems

• Most home security systems can be integrated with fire alarms – so help to do two jobs in one mechanism
• Some home security systems automatically alert the emergency line when they have been triggered off, then the emergency line calls the house to check what’s happening – so if someone has broken in, or if they are dangerous, the police will arrive far faster without the homeowners having to call
• Just seeing that a home is fitted with a home security system may put off a lot of criminals
• Having a home security system may lower your home insurance
• It may make people feel more comfortable leaving their homes to go out for the night, or on holiday, knowing that they have a home security system

The detriments of Home Security Systems

• If the triggers are set off automatically and the emergency services are alerted for no real reason, you may be wasting emergency services’ valuable time
• In some cases, it may give people a false sense of security – and they may become lazy about keep their valuables away from clear outside view, which may encourage burglars
• Good home security systems are quite expensive
• Home security systems don’t actually prevent burglaries at all, so if the alarm is ignored or isn’t working properly, a burglary can still happen without much difficulty

My Uses of Home Security Systems

My house is fitted with a home security system, though it has never been used as we’ve never had any problems. It does give us a sense of security when we go on holiday though – but we are still careful to lock away valuables and put other security methods into affect as it has been known that some Home security systems effective enough to prevent a burglary actually taking place. I do think a home security system is a good idea for a home, if you feel you can afford it, but shouldn’t be relied upon completely for the protection of your home.

Sadly, in the Information Age, the introduction of Technology has not only increased Policing and Crime Prevention – but has invented new ways of committing crimes via technology – particularly through computers.

Phishing

Phishing is a method used to capture people’s personal information such as name, credit card or bank details, passwords and other important information through emails or other communication methods from a bogus company, or someone pretending to be from a trustworthy company. Since the first incident of phishing was reported, and thanks to the growth of the internet and technology, thousands of people have lost money or information to phishing scandals. Another common method of phishing is fake competitions, where a ‘congratulations you’ve won’ appears on someone’s computer screen when they enter a website. The people most often vulnerable to phishing are old people, and others who aren’t cautious of the dangers of the internet – which is why it is becoming increasingly important for the awareness of phishing and other cons to be raised.

 Trojans horse

A Trojan horse is “a computer virus that arrives over the Internet disguised as a friendly email” (Oxford Illustrated Computer Dictionary). The Trojan horse software enters and harms a computer system, sometimes stealing information, by appearing as a friendly, often wanted, feature; for this reason they got their name from the well-known Greek Myth ‘The Trojan Horse’. Trojan horses may also allow the person who made them to hack the infected computer – giving them access to data for stealing, deleting files or software or even use of the infected computer to send out more Trojans/spam/viruses. It is sometimes a lengthy and annoying process to get rid of Trojans but in most cases it can be done – and should be because they are a big risk to the security of your computer and any information and files you have on it.

Before computers became popular and mainstream, Phishing and Trojans and other computer-based offences wouldn’t have been a problem. Luckily, for every person who is sending out these things, there is probably a team of people trying to prevent us from being affected and there are many ways in which to protect your computer.