By Steve Ranger, 22 November 2005 16:00
NEWS
The government has revealed a wish-list of technologies it wants to use to fight crime and tackle terrorism, including greater use of biometrics and RFID tracking.
The Home Office has published its Science and Innovation Strategy which gives details of the technologies it believes can help the government implement its policies.
For example, the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) is pioneering a new way to test motorists to see if they are under the influence of legal or illegal drugs, using spectroscopy to analyse saliva under a beam of laser light.
HOSDB is also currently developing millimetre wave technology for detecting threats under clothing, which could be able to identify materials as well as locate objects.
Home Office minister Andy Burnham said in a statement: "We are dealing with increasingly sophisticated, organised criminality and we need to ensure that our use of science and technology meets the challenge."
The report also said the future will see increased use of biometric identification, and plans to create a "Biometric Centre of Expertise" to help find other uses for the technology.
It added: "We are also looking at how miniaturisation technologies like 'lab on a chip' can help deliver improved forensic analysis both at crime scenes and in the lab."
Another priority is tracking technologies and RFID. The report said that tracking technologies are already being used for the surveillance of criminals and terrorist suspects, and the management of offenders by the use of tagging and satellite tracking.
The Home Office said it has encouraged the use of RFID tags to track goods to reduce counterfeiting and enable the recovery of stolen goods, and added: "We believe that tracking technologies have further applications and we are keen to keep abreast of developments and influence the commercial market to meet emerging national and international requirements."
It added: "Similarly, there will be significant benefits when the systems for automatic tracking and identification from CCTV pictures are reliable enough to meet our real-world applications."
Comments
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1. anonymous
Thank God I no longer live in the UK
2. Guy Reynolds
An RFID implant with biometric data with remote restraint capabilites, and just just in case you choose to shoot a policeman remote execution.
It will save business's millions because we will give then access to the tracking information to ensure you are at home in bed when you phone in sick.
It will save the benefits system billions for the same reason.
And we will denfinately never ever get the police to use the restraint facilty on polling day if MI5's records show you not to be a Labour supporter.
Now where can I get an EMP generator from?
3. anonymous
Yeah! How about phasor blasters, tachyon generators and robocops too?
..........What a bunch of mugs! You could pull the wool over their eyes and sell em a pig in a poke just provided you dressed it up a bit with some hi-tech gobbledy-crap and an unrealistic price.
(what a world!)
4. Jeremy Wickins
A centre to "help find other uses for [biometrics] technology"? How many more civil liberties does this government want to undermine? When are people going to say "enough"?
5. anonymous
Your life and the lives of your family, friends, and community are much much safer today thanks to RFID and related wireless tracking technologies employed by law enforcement to help arrest/incarcerate dangerous criminals and recover $millions in stolen property. Conviction rates are virtually 100% - why? Because they were caught red-handed thanks to great technology used by courageous officers. Wake up and smell the coffee!