Technological Effects on Victim Identification in Police Investigations of Child Abuse Material

The development and use of digital technologies have profound effects in society. One the one hand, the technologies can be used for illegal activities such as the production, distribution and possession of child abuse material. On the other hand, the technologies can be used as powerful and effective tools to combat and investigate these crimes. Child abuse material constitutes crime evidence portraying serious and harmful crimes against children. Law enforcement should therefore focus their efforts on identifying both the offender and the victim involved in the creation of the material. Traditionally law enforcement agencies have focused their efforts on the offenders that have been in focus for identification, prosecution and often also for rehabilitation. Thus, law enforcement has devoted resources towards convictions for the distribution and possession of child abuse material rather than attempting to identify and protect the children in the material. This research in progress paper will therefore explore how digital technologies affect victim identification in police investigations of child abuse material. To explore this area, a qualitative study has been applied with semi-structured interviews with individual police officers at the Swedish Police

Being filmed at work: How police perceive citizens\u27 use of cameras to conduct sousveillance

Today’s widespread use of camera-equipped smartphones means that anyone may easily be filmed in public, and - through social media - exposed to a large audience whilst conducting their daily work. Police officers belong to an occupation that frequently has to encounter this situation. The police is a public authority with a broad societal mission aimed at reducing crime and increasing security in society, but is also entitled to make use of force at work. The latter is a fact that places high demands on them to organize and conduct their work in accordance with applicable laws and guidelines to ensure legal security for citizens, and to provide transparency and accountability. We intend to investigate what consequences citizens’ use of this wearable technology with built in cameras have on police officers’ individual practices. This research in progress paper will therefore address the question: How do police perceive citizens’ use of cameras to document them while conducting work? To answer the question, we conducted a qualitative study using the Swedish Police as a case, where in-depth interviews with police officers constitute the main data source. Theoretically, we draw upon on research on technological affordances, accountability, surveillance and sousveillance

Regulating Police Body-Worn Camera Practice - A Four Modality Perspective

Police authorities in a number of countries have recently introduced body-worn cameras (BWC). With the use of body-worn cameras, the police have gained access to new forms of wearable and powerful law enforcing technologies. The cameras enable collection of large volume of personal information and in some cases even sensitive information that must be managed and stored within the organisationin line with rules of law. As is often the case when technology develops faster than societal norms and values, a range of questions concerning issues related to regulation of these practises are still uninvestigated. Therefore, this paper will analyse what actually regulates individual police officers’ body- worn camera practice. Empirically, we use the Swedish police as a case and our study is based on qualitative interviews. Theoretically we draw upon Lawrence Lessig’s four modality model - law, norms, market, and architecture - and we conclude that i) law is considered important although law regarding BWC is still in its infancy, ii) while law and official directives have a more macro applicability, norms are developed and maintained more locally, iii) market regulate indirectly via availability and cost, and iv) architecture is not necessarily as self-executed as often stated

Governmental Surveillance - The balance between security and privacy

The increased digitalisation of society and recent developments in AI is laying the ground for surveillance capabilities of a magnitude we have not seen before. Surveillance can be conducted by several different actors in society, this project focuses on the Swedish police currently using a large ensemble of surveillance technologies. Earlier this year, significant legislative changes governing the police authorities use of digital surveillance were enacted. These changes mean that the police now have been given an extended mandate to use digital surveillance as part of their professional practice, which places demands on balanced decisions and informed responsibility. On the one hand, the police have an interest to use digital surveillance to increase efficiency and security in society; on the other hand, the police must balance their interests with citizen’s so-called integrity-interests and right to privacy. This study will therefore examine to what extent the Swedish Police Authority pay attention to questions such as integrity and privacy when introducing digital surveillance. The study is guided by the following questions: (i) What opportunities can be related to the implementation and use of digital surveillance in police work? (ii) What kind of challenges do the increasing use of digital surveillance create between organisational governance, police officers’ work practice, and the integrity of citizens - and how do the police tackle these challenges? Theoretically, we draw on the established research fields on surveillance and privacy and empirically this study is designed as a qualitative study of the Swedish Police as our main case

Encountering camera surveillance and accountability at work – case study of the Swedish police

Today’s mobile cameras mean that anyone may easily be filmed and exposed to a wider audience meanwhile conducting their daily work. Police officers belong to an occupation that most frequently have to encounter this development. As state representatives, entitled to make use of violence at work, they end up being held accountable by a variety of actors capturing police initiatives on film. Police authorities around the world therefore have started to use body-worn cameras, aiming to enhance trust and transparency, but also as a means to control their work environment. On the one hand, cameras are described as a tool ensuring legal security and public trust in the police, on the other hand cameras are also associated with concern for surveillance and integrity. We intend, in this recently started study, to investigate what consequences this technology have on individual officers organising their own practices, and on the management of patrols wearing these cameras. The study is guided by the following questions: 1) What opportunities and challenges do individual officers associate with the introduction of cameras in their practice? 2) In what way is the use of cameras managed by the organisation, what tensions do they have to address between the individual officer’s practice, the management and the public? 3) What opportunities and challenges do the police associate with citizens using cameras to document the police? Theoretically the analysis draws on research on accountability, technological affordances and surveillance. Empirical material is planned to be collected through interviews, focus groups and document studies

Exploring the composition of restorative environments conducive to post traumatic report and recovery processes in young women : towards an inner city support centre for young women in Durban.

Master of Architecture. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2015.This dissertation argues that research in Restorative Environments should begin to analyse situations in which restoration is actively promoted to treat specific conditions. The trauma of rape, sexual assault and abuse has been explored in this dissertation as a negative precursor, which requires physical, psychological, mental, and social restoration. By applying an understanding of this trauma, and its inherent constructs, the existing frameworks of Stress Recovery Theory (SRT) and Attention Restoration Theory (ART) have been redefined to meet the needs of the victims. Using a feminist standpoint, and a constructivist-grounded methodology, an analysis of the existing literature, several precedent studies, architectural case studies, and a series of in-depth interviews with victims advocates from a Non Profit and Non Government organisation based at several local Police Stations, the Department of Social Development Offices, and the Thuthuzela Care Centres, revealed several themes which formed the overall framework of the research argument, and its subsequent conclusions. (1) Refuge, in the form of a sense of safety and retreat are essential to disclosure. The integration of Perception Theory, particularly in terms of multi- sensory design, can create a sense of warmth and refuge in the built form. (2) Reflection, in terms of instoration, and cognitive and aesthetic distraction, can facilitate victim self-regulation. The use of Biophilic design principles, and particularly fractals, can promote reflection within the built form. (3) Reintegration, through a sense of belonging and normality promotes longer term recovery. The incorporation of the principles of Sense of Place can initiate longer term reintegration and restoration in the built form. Furthermore, through the fieldwork component of the research, this dissertation has concluded that although the functional medico-legal aspects of hospital crisis care environments and police report environments in Durban are reported to be generally well considered, an understanding of these experiential themes of Refuge, Reflect and Reintegrate, are not typically incorporated into these environments. Additionally, as a means to support the existing environments for report and recovery in Durban, there are several Non Profit and Non Government Organisations who have set up their own support facilities to meet the various longer term legal, psychological and medical needs of the victims. Unfortunately, their lack of infrastructure, funding and environmental connection to formal first response environments, such as hospitals and police stations, have resulted in a disconnect between points of first disclosure and continued recovery. This dissertation has concluded that this impedes the recovery of the victims and arguably reduces the number of cases reported. In the context of the ongoing stigma around cases of rape, sexual assault and abuse, the design of positive environments for tackling the layers of toxicity experienced by the victims- from the initial report stage, through the healing phases, and into the final stage of re-integration into society - is more important than ever. And as such, more research, and practical measures should be taken to understand how a single cohesive report and recovery environment can meet the many perceptions, experiences and needs of the victims - whether immediate or long term, physical or psychological, individual or group

CRIME INVESTIGATIONS OF ‘CHILD ABUSE MATERIAL’: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES POSED BY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

The increased digitalisation of society has profoundly changed the circumstances for people with a sexual interest in children to engage in the production, distribution and consumption of child abuse material. In addition, digital technologies enable contact and communication with other like-minded individuals sharing the same sexual interest in children and also facilitate new forms of getting in contact with children (potential victims). Child abuse material (sometimes also referred to as child pornography) refers to documented material depicting the sexual abuse and/or sexual exploitation of a child (or children). The overall purpose with this study is to explore the practices where crime investigations of child abuse material occur within the Swedish police authority. This research in progress paper will reflect on what challenges and opportunities police officers do encounter when investigating child abuse material in relation to digital technologies? The involved technology will be investigated in relation to technological affordance and empirically the study is based upon qualitative interviews with police officers

EXPLORING THE EMERGING BODY-WORN CAMERA PRACTICE WITHIN THE SWEDISH POLICE

Police authorities in a number of countries have recently started to use body-worn cameras. Un-like stationary surveillance cameras, body-worn cameras are maneuvered by the individual offic-ers and can be used in a variety of different circumstances and even brought into private settings such as people’s homes. This means that personal and, in some cases, even sensitive information can be captured and must be correctly managed and stored within the organization. Hence, not only actual camera usage but also management of the collected material need to be properly reg-ulated. Previous studies, however, have shown that technology - and the new practice it affords - changes more rapidly than do the regulative mechanisms governing it. Therefore, our study aims to understand how individual police officers cope this uncertainty during their everyday prac-tice of using body-worn cameras. Using the Swedish police as a case, and based on qualitative interviews with individual representatives of both police and legislative authorities, we draw on Lessig’s four modalities of regulation - law, norms, architecture, and market - and our preliminary results shows that the modalities of norms and architecture dominate with quite clear regulative effects whereas law and market have only marginal impacts