Thin Blue Lie: The Failure of High-Tech Policing

With communities enraged both by rising crime and deadly force used by police, law enforcement agencies have been exploring alternative means to combat the use of deadly force on suspected criminals. Highly technological devices have evolved to help combat criminal activities. Journalist Stroud investigates the impact of high-tech policing by examining the various devices, including the Taser, Compstat, facial recognition software, surveillance cameras in public places (CCTV), cellphone tracking, and body cameras. Stroud reveals that many companies oversell their technologies, often using former law enforcement officers as sales representatives. While cities such as New York and Los Angeles have bought into many of the expensive technological devices, they do not necessarily make communities safer and have not been proven effective in reducing the use of deadly force, argues Stroud.