Law Enforcement and the Internet, Research Paper Example

Although law enforcement personnel have been relatively slow to embrace and utilize Internet technology, they are more and more inclined to discover the vast potential uses of the Internet in pursuing their mission of maintaining social order.  Both the administrative capacity and the operations of law enforcement agents are increasing their abilities to use the Internet for a vast array of purposes: for keeping records on arrests, doing paperwork regarding police actions, running checks on suspects or “persons of interest” for investigative uses, and for setting up  listings via the Internet in order to target pedophiles and other Internet predators.  This paper will discuss the various ways that law enforcement officials utilize the Internet in ways that enhance their abilities to maximize public safety.

The Internet can be viewed in a variety of ways, depending on whose perspective is being explored.  It can be seen as a place where sexual perverts prey on children, where international terrorists share their expertise in bomb making, where pornography is easily available, and as a means by which the hackers can invade both corporate and governmental computers (Anderson, 2005-2008.)  Another segment of the population regards the Internet as a powerful resource that provides an infinite amount of information and educational tools, the ability to do research on virtually any topic for personal or professional use, and the provision of e-mail which has been an extremely cost-effective and efficient way for businesses to operate as well as for people to make and keep contacts quickly and consistently.

The history of the Internet being utilized by police officers and other law enforcement officials has been a slow one, mostly due to budgetary constraints and a lack of motivation to upgrade handwritten reports to electronic records.  Gradually, however, most law enforcement agencies have opted to become modernized via computers, to the extent that many officers carry laptops in their squad cars so that they can easily write notes and reports immediately after an event happens and while the details are fresh in their minds.  In addition, more than half of the law enforcement agencies in the United States as well as Canada even have their own Internet websites (McKee, 2000).  The purposes of designing andutilizing websites by law enforcement officials include: to inform and educate the public about their organizations; to enhance better public relations; to utilize e-mail to permit the public to communicate with the police department; to provide educational materials to the public; to publicize information about cases; to actively gather information from the public; and many other uses such as recruitment, providing employment applications, and soliciting volunteers to become involved in public service.  In addition, the Internet has been used to provide surveys so that the public can give feedback to the departments about their performance and the need for improvement and in which areas. (McKee, 2000).

A great deal of information is posted on the Internet by police departments as well.  Some of the areas contained include employment information such as job descriptions and salaries; contact information for the command structure; the department’s mission statement; the history of the department; crime statistics; lists of sexual offenders living in a given community; current projects; awards; frequently asked questions; and accident reports.  All of that information is available to the public and is easily accessible by posting it on the website.

Whenever a police department designs and posts a website, there is a very useful message sent to the public: that the law enforcement agency is keeping up with the times regarding technology and is to be viewed as a modern entity.  Budgetary concerns should not be an obstacle at this point for any department to maintain a website since designing a web page is usually a one-time operation, with periodic updates, and costs only a few dollars monthly to operate.  Once the website is posted for a police department, the only question is how it can be utilized to maximum capacity in a way that serves both the department and the public.

The Internet can and has been used by police departments in sting operations to arrest various criminals including sexual predators, perpetrators of Internet fraud, and drug dealers.  A well-known example of this has been the NBC show, Dateline’s well-known series “To Catch a Predator,” in which a civilian watchdog group works with law enforcement officials to identify potential child molesters using the Internet to perform sting operations.  Posing as a teenage boy or girl, an adult enters Internet chat rooms and begins making connections on-line with adults who are engaging in sexual talk, including at times sending pictures of their genitals over the Internet, violations of both soliciting a minor over the Internet as well as obscenity laws.  The presumed minor then sets up a meeting with the adult at a location, supposedly their home, with the express purpose of engaging in sexual relations, at times requesting that the adult bring alcohol or drugs, condoms, and other gifts.  When the subject arrives, bearing the requested items, he is initially met by the sound of a young teen inviting him in and asking him to wait while the teen finishing doing laundry or getting dressed.  When the perpetrator waits for the teenager to get ready, making himself comfortable in the kitchen, in a home filled with hidden cameras, instead of his Internet “friend” he is met by the show’s correspondent, Chris Hansen, who confronts him with his intended plan: to have sex with a minor.  Ultimately, the perpetrator is told that he can leave the home but as soon as he walks out the door, a squad of police who have been lying in wait grab the man, handcuff him and arrest him. (Stanley, 2006.) It is a powerful example of using the Internet to shine the light on potential child molesters.

Another use of the Internet by law enforcement has been to identify and arrest predators who are sharing child pornography on the Internet.  Recently in California, 13 people were arrested after being accused of Internet crimes against children.  In a sting called “Operation Direct Connect,” law enforcement officials served 40 search warrants to residents of more than seven different counties.  Included among those arrested was a former police officer, a man with three children of his own,who used peer to peer technology to obtain and send graphic images of children (Rodriguez, 2010.) The arresting officers were all members of the unit called Internet Crimes against Children.  The fact that such a unit exists is an indication of the interface between law enforcement and the Internet, and the vast possibilities of crimes committed using the world wide web that confront the police daily in these modern times.

In addition to the crimes listed above, there are various other cyber-crimes that law enforcement officials are facing.  These include:

• Hacking, in which a computer system is reprogrammed in ways that are counter to the intentions of the computer’s owner. This crime has significant implications for national security, since it could not only sabotage the classification of information but it could potentially cause havoc, such as hacking into the power grid or the intelligence-gathering services.
• Identity fraud and theft, crimes which occur when someone illegally utilizes the personal information belonging to someone else, typically for financial benefits.
• Cyber-stalking, when a criminal harasses a victim through electronic means such as e-mail, sending messages through an Internet chat room, and is able to remain anonymous because of the nature of cyberspace.
• Malware, which is short for malicious software, includes a variety of forms of aggressive, intrusive, or annoying software which invades computers without their owner’s consent.
• Phishing, in which emails are sent to a receiver falsely pretending to be a legitimate sender, usually a business enterprise, in an effort to obtain private information such as passwords and usernames, social security numbers, and other personal data that often results in identity fraud or other fraudulent crimes.
• Credit card fraud, a common Internet crime that occurs when the member’s credit card information is obtained online and used illegally to purchase goods and services.
• Illegal downloading, which occurs when someone downloads any type of files or software such as movies and music, while ignoring the copyright of the original artist and not paying for the software, essentially committing theft of services.
• Industrial espionage or information warfare, when someone spies on their competitors to gain the advantage, financially.
• Kidnapping children via chat rooms which is, unfortunately, a new and modern way for child molesters to find their victims. (Divine, 2010)
• Obscene or offensive content that is often used on the Internet for many reasons including harassment or for the gratification of the person who posts the material.
• Harassment occurs when a specific individual or individuals are the targets of hateful or negative comments, often based on race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual preference.
• Electronic money laundering and tax evasion, which utilizes computer technology to conceal monies obtained illegally, and to avoid paying taxes on them (A.Ophardt, 2010).
• Privacy problems, when information is lost, and becomes a huge obstacle for people when, for example, their medical information which has been computerized is either on a network that crashes, or that is hacked into and their information falls into the hands of other, unauthorized people. In worst case scenarios, until the health reform care bill becomes law, in that situation, people could be denied health insurance based on pre- existing conditions.

Obviously, the number of crimes and potential for victimhood on the Internet presents a tremendous challenge for law enforcement officials.  While the Internet certainly provides an immense amount of positive uses and information for the public, it is a mixed blessing for law enforcement officials who while enjoying the benefits of using the Internet, also are charged with the task of confronting the most disturbing aspects of Internet usage on a daily basis.

References

A.Ophardt, J. (2010, June 23). Cyber-warfare and the crime of aggression: the need for individual accountability on tomorrow’s battlefield. Duke and Technology Review , pp. 17-27.

Anderson, M. R. (2005-2008). Law enforcement and the Internet. Retrieved November 22, 2010, from NTI: http://www.forensics-intl.com/art4.html

Divine, J. (2010). Internet crimes. Retrieved November 22, 2010, from EzineArticles.com: http://ezinearticles.com/comment.php?Internet-Crimes&id=1129266

McKee, E. T. (2000, June). The present and future use of the Internet by law enforcement. Retrieved November 22, 2010, from National Executive Institute Associates: http://www.neiassociates.org/pt1internet.htm

Rodriguez, R. (2010, November 19). Child Porn Internet Sting. Retrieved November 22, 2010, from KMPH26: http://www.kmph.com/Global/story.asp?S=13534661

Stanley, A. (2006, May 17). Gotcha! Dateline paves a wall of shame for On-line predators. Retrieved November 22, 2010, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/17/arts/television/17stan.html?_r=1&scp=7&sq=Dateline&st=cse