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Schirling, Michael E.

College of Education and Social Services

2006

M. Ed.

Much of the public's vision of what policing is stems from what is crafted by the one hour television drama that portrays major crime and its resolution in prime time. The reality of criminal investigation is that it is exponentially more complicated that what can be portrayed in 42 1/2 minutes, after commercials are taken into account. The reality of policing is that it is only about 15 percent criminal investigation while the remaining 85 percent is service based problem solving. This service oriented philosophy has its origins in the beginning of formal police operations but has only recently become main stream again, in the era of community policing. As community policing became popular again, another phenomenon was emerging that has changed the way much of the world operates including law enforcement. In the mid 1990's the world, law enforcement included, faced what is arguably the single most complex technological and social challenge the stunningly fast paced evolution of a world wide computer network called the Internet. Not only was the face of everyday communication changing and shifting from telephones to computers, but everything from the business world to crime was undergoing a revolution of sorts. The pace of change was staggering and for the first time in modern history, the youth of the world were empowered to drive that change. CEO's of major technology companies could just as easily have been in their 50's, wearing a suit as they could have been in their 20's wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a catchy slogan. With these changes and a realization that the new online world could be a worthy partner or instrumentality of crime, a stark missing link exists. Technology education, not in terms of teaching our youth how to use computers, but in terms of socializing them to do it in a safe and ethical manner is well behind the growth curve that has driven the world to their computers. While change has swept the world as it relates to using the machines, there has been little attention paid to educating our youth about how to use the machines in a safe and ethical way. A void exists. We must fill it to ensure our children's safety.