From the National Center for Victims of Crime: Publication Explores Ethical Considerations of Using New Technology

New Publication

The National Center for Victims of Crime has published Beyond the Beat: Ethical Considerations for Community Policy in the Digital Age. This publication describes how recent advances in one-way communications (e.g., online crime statistics, crime maps, sex offender photographs and registries, offender/parolee release notices, events calendars, and email traffic alerts), and two-way approaches (e.g., online crime reporting, “virtual beat” meetings, customized crime analysis, community listservs, blogs, and online community forums) can help law enforcement combat crime. Yet these and other emerging technological tools also have the potential to endanger individual rights, community access to law enforcement, and police-community relations, as the report illustrates through real-life scenarios. Beyond the Beat offers practical suggestions for avoiding these pitfalls. Click here to download the full report.