Module 3 Discussion
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Southern New Hampshire University *
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305
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History
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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Uploaded by SargentFreedomHawk19
CJ 305 – Module 3 Discussion
Hey everyone!
After doing a lot of research this week and just really thinking about what I believe I can say that
I am torn. I understand why most have said, "Police Use of Technology Makes Me Feel Safer".
However, after doing the research, I must say that I feel that “Police Use of Technology
Threatens My Constitutional Rights.” Significant risks to civil rights and liberties are posed by
the widespread use of surveillance technologies by local police departments, which has mostly
happened without community involvement or control. These concerns disproportionately affect
communities of color and low-income communities.
The instruments that underpin contemporary police monitoring are a contributing factor to cycles
of harassment and violence across the nation. Certain neighborhoods are digitally redlined as
"hotspots" for crime by predictive police systems; some of these systems even create profiles of
individuals they believe are likely to commit offenses. Because of these classifications, there is
more police presence in the affected communities, and people are monitored wherever they go—
from homes to workplaces to schools. The usual targets are young Black and Brown people, who
may also be required to sign "contracts" that forbid them from acting in a way that "could be
interpreted as gang affiliated" or covertly added to gang databases. In places where police and
educators have viewed members of the public with a constant sense of suspicion, more
surveillance may be seen as a social control tactic rather than an attempt to ensure public safety.
This is just one of the main reasons I feel that the police use of technology threatens my
constitutional rights. According to a site called Brookings, it gives a good amount of information
on why “data-driven” policing threatens constitutional rights as well.
When it comes to facial recognition technology, the startling lack of accuracy of facial
recognition algorithms, especially with regard to women and individuals with darker skin tones,
has been a major topic of public discussion. The fact that police have used erroneous facial
recognition identifications to wrongfully arrest Black men in at least three cases that are known
to the public highlights how hazardous this technology can be when used by law enforcement.
However, increasing the accuracy of the technology won't solve the underlying issue, which is
that facial recognition gives law enforcement, an organization with a long and well-documented
history of racial prejudice and brutality against people of color, more reach and authority.
Regardless of its accuracy, facial recognition technology is harmful in the context of law
enforcement. Because face recognition technology permits invasive and ongoing tracking and
targeting, its use by law enforcement puts the privacy of individuals and communities at risk as
well as Facial recognition technology used by law enforcement can easily breach due process
rights and violate procedural justice in other ways (
Civil Rights Concerns Regarding Law
Enforcement Use of Face Recognition Technology
, 2021)
I am aware that technology advancements have the potential to increase public safety, but there
are also good reasons to be concerned about things like data breaches, false information, and the
reinforcement of racial prejudice.
Thank you,
Chelsea
References:
American Civil Liberties Union. (n.d.).
Community control over police surveillance: Technology
101
.
https://www.aclu.org/report/community-control-over-police-surveillance-
technology-101#:~:text=The%20proliferation%20in%20local%20police%20departments
%E2%80%99%20use%20of,disproportionately%20impact%20communities%20of
%20color%20and%20low-income%20communities
.
Civil rights concerns regarding law enforcement use of face recognition technology
. (2021, June
3). New America.
https://www.newamerica.org/oti/briefs/civil-rights-concerns-regarding-
law-enforcement-use-of-face-recognition-technology/
Díaz, Á. (2021, September 13).
Data-driven policing’s threat to our constitutional rights
.
Retrieved November 8, 2023, from
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/data-driven-
policings-threat-to-our-constitutional-rights/
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