Technology is reshaping law enforcement faster than the law can settle around it. Artificial intelligence, facial recognition, automated license plate readers, geofence warrants and location data now sit at the centre of daily police work — and at the centre of constitutional challenge.
This program gives supervisors and command staff the legal foundation required to deploy these tools defensibly. Participants will work through the Fourth Amendment framework that governs modern surveillance, the case law shaping current practice, and the policy, training and supervision needed to keep technology use accountable.
The emphasis throughout is on judgment. Technology can accelerate investigations, but reasonable suspicion, probable cause and use-of-force decisions remain human determinations. Supervisors will leave better prepared to set clear expectations, audit use, question vendor claims, and protect both investigative effectiveness and public trust.
Sessions Included
- Session 1: Technology, Privacy, and the Need for a Legal Foundation
- Session 2: The Fourth Amendment Framework and Reasonable Expectation of Privacy
- Session 3: Location Data, GPS Tracking, and Cell Phone Evidence
- Session 4: Geofence Warrants — Scope, Specificity, and the Circuit Split
- Session 5: Automated License Plate Readers — Policy, Retention, and Oversight
Credit Hours: 2.5