Internet use and its applications

¶ … Internet to solve crimes

The internet has evolved into a complex and increasingly intertwined network of computer networks and programs. The complexity and popularity of the Internet has been increased by the development of ecommerce. This in turn has resulted in the Web as a new arena for crime and the advancement of organized criminal activities.

Fraud, identity theft, stalking, harassment, threats and mischief all take place online. Drug- and gang-related activities use computer-mediated communications. Child pornographers and pedophiles use the Internet as the primary means to exchange their wares or lure their next victim. These changes add levels of complexity when attempting to complete investigations.

(How can police agencies keep up with new technology?)

However, the Internet has also afforded the authorities and the police force the means and methods of combating not only cybercrime but all forms of criminal behavior. As one expert states, "Law-enforcement agencies, in turn, are using the Net to help solve crimes." (Godwin M.)

One of the most obvious and successful ways of combating crime through the technological opportunities on the Internet, is the use of the Web's unique information sharing and data storing facilities. The fact that the Internet can instantly update and provide interactive access to the latest data has been used with great success by law enforcement agencies. This is often facilitated by interaction between the public and law enforcement agencies via online websites.

For example, the police can disseminate information about criminals and criminal profiles to the public via their official Websites. This can lead to an interactive process where the public can contact the authorities immediately via email or online response systems with information that they may have about criminals. One example of this process in action is the following:

The FBI... has begun putting requests for information about lawbreakers on its Mosaic home page, the electronic equivalent of a WANTED poster. Late last year the agency posted details of the so-called Unabomber case, a series of 14 unsolved bombing incidents in the U.S. dating back to 1978 - and offered a $1 million reward.

(Godwin M.)

Another important aspect in this regard is that the internet provides the platform and mechanisms for the various police forces and crime solving units, both within and outside the country, to communicate instantaneously and to share information. This is particularly useful with regard to the crimes against children. Entities such as the Internet Crimes Against Children task forces has shown the advantages of online communication and information sharing between different law enforcement and criminal investigation groups.

For example, almost all task force investigations have required substantial communication and coordination among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. This collaboration is essential to your success in these investigations, and we have published program standards to facilitate interagency referrals of child pornography and cyber-enticement cases.

REMARKS of the HONORABLE DEBORAH J. DANIELS...)

Another technological way in which the fight against crime has been advanced is through Face Recognition technology. This refers to the collection of specific data on certain criminals and specific criminal groups which is shared across accessible databases and which can lead to the recognition and rapid apprehension of the criminal or criminals. This has been used with success in gang - related crimes. (Schwabe 33) a computer system to track gang members was instituted by California Governor Pete Wilson in March 1998. Known as the CalGang system, this technological method will "...enable any law enforcement agency in the state to access a master index and share information about the movement of street gangs..." (Schwabe 32)the system also provides law enforcement with photographs of gang members and other identifying information as well as "... Information on the statewide computer network includes a parolee's record, aliases, physical description, addresses, vehicles, and even identifying marks, such as tattoos." (Schwabe 32) very significant technology used in the fight against crime is crime mapping technology. The technology is extremely effective. In brief, crime mapping technology enables the police and other crime fighting agencies "... To analyze and correlate data sources to create a detailed snapshot of crime incidents and related factors within a community or other geographical area." (the Use of Computerized Crime Mapping by Law Enforcement)

Studies show that this technology is creating a positive response among law enforcement agencies and has many advantages over older methods of fighting crime. Among the many aspects of this method is the real-time analysis of crime data as well as the mapping of various critical crime areas using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. (Newsom G.)

One of the central advantages of this system is that it provides the ability to identify certain trends in crime and links between crimes. This is an important aspect as it provides crucial correlations between events and crimes which may occur in different areas. Furthermore, an important aspect from the total crime fighting perspective is that this technology helps in the economic and selective allocation of resources where they are most needed. (Newsom G.)

More specifically, the system of computerized crime mapping allows law enforcement agencies "...to plot crime-related data against a digitized map of a community, city, or region. Crime-related data then can be compared and analyzed with other external data sources." (the Use of Computerized Crime Mapping by Law Enforcement) This means that a variety of external data sources can be used in the process of mapping. These can include census data and city planning information, which can be used in conjunction with criminal data. Other advantages of this technology are that it can be used to evaluate the viability of interventions in crimes as well as" Inform residents about crime activity and changes in their community..." (the Use of Computerized Crime Mapping by Law Enforcement)