Law enforcement officers across the US are adapting to new technologies which aim to improve efficiency and accuracy on the job. The average police car is now equipped with a laptop which provides access to national criminal databases, portable fingerprint scanners, Breathalyzer units, automatic licence-plate-readers, and even printers that can print out a citation ticket.

NBC News reports that law enforcement officers are relying more on data carry out daily tasks more effectively. Before leaving the station for patrol, many officers are provided with comprehensive real-time data on wanted suspects, crime hotspots, and trends. “They have specific directions on where to go and what and who to look for,” says Los Angeles Police Department Commander Andrew Smith.

Communication methods — e-mail, chat, texting, and social media — have provided law enforcement officers more resources for evidence gathering. The crimes officers are responding to have also evolved due to technology. The public exposure to personal data and the Internet has widened the criminal methods of street gangs, organised crime, and terror groups. Identify theft and credit card fraud are followed by sophisticated methods of committing traditional crimes like prostitution and sex trafficking via social media and Internet sites. Comprehensive and detailed data in the hands of law enforcement have allowed for the development of predictive policing, an approached based on the idea that data fuelled software will predict crimes based on trends and statistics.