San Jose Police Looking to Technology To Help Fight Crime

SAN JOSE, (KCBS) --  In Silicon Valley, police are relying more and more on technology to fight crime and increase efficiency as staff positions are being cut back.

Considering its population of one million, San Jose has a relative small police force of about 1,200 officers, and that number is not likely to increase anytime soon.

Chris Moore, the city's acting Police Chief, said due to budget cuts, they will likely be losing some staff members in the next few years. He would like to make up for some of the lost man power with the latest technology.

KCBS' Matt Bigler Reports:

Some examples include mobile fingerprint scanners that officers can use to identify suspects and wireless citation devices that transmit tickets directly to the courts.  San Jose Council member and former cop Pete Constant said the city has history of leading the way when it comes to high-tech policing.

"San Jose was one of the first police departments in the nation to put computers in their cars," he said.

Cops should only use technology to assist police officers, never replace them, he added.

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