Introduction
Linkage blindness is the phenomenon in which law enforcement cannot link crimes due to a lack of sharing information and cooperating adequately. As a result, unsolved cases usually remain unaddressed, which is partially the causality of the lack of tools that could potentially connect the circumstances, victims, and patterns. There are, however, ways to address the limitation through several aims. Namely, technological advancements and innovative cooperation can address the issue of linkage blindness.
Technological Advancements
Technological advancements would allow law enforcement to access the needed information quickly and efficiently. Namely, digitalization implies the presence of a platform in which all details of the cases are entered and uploaded into a common database. As a result, by searching for certain keywords related to criminal records, patterns, characteristics of the crimes, or locations, detectives would have a list of potential suspects. According to researchers, a major limitation of linkage bias is the inability to connect a crime committed in one jurisdiction to another (Geberth, 2018). Having a digital system with the aforementioned features would minimize such challenges.
Innovative Cooperation
A lack of cooperation is the primary generator of linkage bias. Researchers mention that a more effective system would be replacing cooperation through competition through innovation (Wegrich, 2018). As a result, law enforcement officers would work on a joint mission instead of focusing on the department with the higher crime-solving rate. Cooperation through innovation implied information sharing, teamwork, and a single mission to minimize crime.
Conclusion
Technological advancements and innovative cooperation are two of the measures that law enforcement agencies can implement to address linkage blindness. As a result, detectives would not be limited by the jurisdiction of the area where they operate to promote justice. Thus, crime-solving would become more systematic and evidence-based, and the criminals would not avoid prosecution because their wrongdoings have not been recognized by officers.
References
Geberth, V. J. (2018). Sex-related homicide investigations. Routledge International Handbook of Sexual Homicide Studies, 448–470. Web.
Wegrich, K. (2018). The blind spots of Collaborative Innovation. Public Management Review, 21(1), 12–20. Web.