Technologies Used by the Police. Term Paper

These breath-testers use a range of technologies including electrochemical fuel cells, infrared absorption, metallic oxide semiconductors and disposable color-change testers.

The disposable breath-testers are cheap to purchase and very useful in detecting alcohol in a person's system. When the test is positive, to check for other drugs in his system, the person is required to give a blood sample for confirmation by a laboratory. In addition his urine sample is also taken to test for the presence of other drugs in his system.

Breath testers have been in use in the United States since the 1940s. Then the machines used to detect alcohol were not as accurate as the ones used today. Nowadays mostly infrared absorption devices are used. They have a sample chamber from where the breath passes. This comes in contact with the infrared light, which counts the ions of alcohol thus measuring the alcohol level.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation Governor's Highway Safety Office this month awarded the TBI $1.5 million to buy 217 intoximeters, according Ms. Johnson. Each device costs $7,000, she said. Intoximeters can store up to 700 exams at a time, which will improve statewide record keeping, Ms. Johnson said. State and local officials can track the dates and locations of all drunken driving stops with the age of the drivers involved, she said." (Candice Combs)

Breath testers have brought a notable difference in the number of drunk drivers. It saves the time of a police officer, thus enabling him to cover a large number of suspects in a smaller time frame. This is why the police department is being readily equipped with breath testers.CONCLUSION

With increasing crime in the world, crime-fighting institutions require new technologies to control such negative elements in society. Increased technology guarantees time efficient and improved mode of action against crime. They decrease the risk that a police official in the field might otherwise be exposed to. With weapon detection systems the safety of the civilian population is ensured by the reduction in crime and terrorism. Although only some of the technologies were discussed in the paper, yet it was enough to show the importance of the availability of such technologies to law enforcement agencies. It also shows that with time, these technologies will evolve further to be more efficient each day. However it should be noted that technologies would be used on a broader spectrum only if they are affordable. Therefore it is necessary to make technologies at an affordable price.

REFERENCE:

1. Jerry W. Kilgore - "DNA Samples Prove to Be Effective in Solving Crimes." Magazine Title: Corrections Today. Volume: 65. Issue: 4. July 2003. 28.

2. "DNA Money." Newspaper Title: The Washington Times. March 12, 2003. A06.

3. Richard S. Julie - "High-Tech Surveillance Tools and the Fourth Amendment: Reasonable Expectations of Privacy in the Technological Age." Journal Title: American Criminal Law Review. Volume: 37. Issue: 1. Publication Year: 2000. Page Number: 127

4. News Story: Camera detects concealed weapons in real-time. [http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/463051] Accessed Aug 21, 2005

5. FBI: Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System [http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/iafis.htm] Accessed Aug 21, 2005

6. Jim Keary - "Car Laptops to Help Fight Crime." The Washington Times. March 17, 1998. 6

7. "Federalizing the D.C. Police." The Washington Times. November 23, 1996. 2......