Private citizens' involvement in policing could go too far if they are allowed to carry weapons, confront individuals, and use physical force, especially in areas with stand-your-ground laws. Private citizens who wield significant authority and are allowed to carry out policing activities similar to those carried out by actual police officers have crossed the line. In the case of Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman, a private citizen involved in policing, went too far by following and confronting Martin before fatally shooting him (Fasching-Varner et al., 2014) . Martin’s death could have been avoided if the policing activities of Zimmerman were limited. Current technologies that are affecting law enforcement include facial recognition software, ShotSpotter, thermal imaging, automatic license plate recognition, drones, and body-worn cameras. Law enforcement bodies are using facial recognition software to identify suspects more rapidly. The ShotSpotter technology utilizes sensors to identify gunfire and relay such information immediately to the police to ensure their timely arrival. Thermal imaging allows law enforcement officers to track suspects' movement in a darkened environment (Parry & Richardson, 2013) . The automatic license plate recognition technology assists law enforcement officers identify stolen vehicles, track people with active warrants, and monitor Amber Alerts. The body-worn cameras allow law enforcement bodies to observe synchronized videos from different points of view. In this case, the police officers can be supervised through the assessment of their practices in the field. Drones are used by law enforcement bodies to gain an aerial view to facilitate crime scene work and crowd monitoring. The growing reliance on technology is a problem for police operations since it may contribute to the failure of community-police partnerships, which are essential in assisting the police in carrying out their work. The high dependence on technology means that there will be limited interaction and consultation between the police and community members. Resultantly, trust will be eroded, and, in this case, policing efforts will be made difficult.
References
Fasching-Varner, K. J., Reynolds, R. E., Albert, K., & Martin, L. L. (2014). Trayvon Martin, race, and American justice: Writing wrong . Rotterdam; Boston: Sense Publishers.
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Parry, J. T., & Richardson, L. S. (2013). The constitution and the future of criminal justice in America . Cambridge University Press.
