Law enforcement:
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School Resource Officer Roger Montez runs the texting while driving simulation with seventh-grader Xiomara Herrera during Kenneth Henderson Middle School’s SAFE night in October. Continued from Page 70
Terminals (MDTs), so on top of the phones, we also have the computers in the cars where we can communicate, and so it’s eliminated that delay in being able to get out information,” Reagle said. “Now, an officer in the car can go back and look at history of the residence or of the person to help them better investigate the situation.” Through TIP411, the GCPD encourages citizens to use personal cell phones to send tips, and in some cases photos, to help locate a person of interest or to provide information about a crime. Another technology that has helped in the processing of individuals charged and/or lodged in the Finney County Jail is computerized fingerprinting. Bascue said that fingerprints used to be taken on ink cards and then sent to the KBI and FBI. “If you arrested somebody, it may be weeks, or sometimes months, before you get something back (from the KBI or FBI) saying there was a hit on those fingerprints,” Bascue said. “Now, our fingerprint machine is a glass scanner and there’s no ink anymore, so when they roll those, it goes right into the computer system. It’s on a screen, and as soon as they submit those, it goes right to the KBI and FBI, and sometimes within a matter of 15
THE GARDEN CITY TELEGRAM
or 20 minutes, we can get stuff back on people — just like that.” The GCPD also uses social media to share important information, and other types of advancements in technology have translated into improved evidence processing and alternative weapons that officers can use to subdue suspects. “As an administrator, you want to give as many options to officers before they use deadly force. That’s the very last option we want them to exercise, so we have given officers additional things,” Bascue said. These items include tasers, beanbag rounds and ASP expandable batons. Both Bascue and Reagle said that for all of its advantages in fighting crime, technology has also brought with it new types of crime. “Every type of technology that comes out, the criminals find a way to use that for their benefit and then we have to find a way to then defeat that type of crime or learn how to investigate it and that takes time,” Reagle said. Some of these crimes include identity theft, pornography and Internet stalking. “For every good thing that technology has brought, I would say that there are several bad things it’s brought,” Bascue said. “It’s opened up a door for criminals to victimize people without even being in our community.”
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