Ethical Implications of Advanced Surveillance Technologies on Law Enforcement: A Case Study of National Police Service in County of Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

The study's research objectives included examining the effects of advanced surveillance technologies on law enforcement by NPS in Nairobi County and evaluating the ethical implications of using these technologies by the NPS. The social contract theory was used to understand the ethical implications of using advanced surveillance technologies in law enforcement. The research population includes the 4.7 residents of Nairobi County affected by the implementation of advanced surveillance technologies both overtly and covertly. The data was collected from a sample of 50 randomly sampled participants. The respondents were engaged using a qualitative questionnaire. Therefore, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected in the study. The study was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) and the thematic analysis method. The study concluded that the use of advanced surveillance technologies such as CCTV systems, facial recognition, license plate recognition, drones, forensic tools, and biometric systems in law enforcement and public safety are widely acknowledged. The ethical considerations regarding these technologies include data security, privacy, freedom of expression, transparency, and accountability. These, however, do not negate the fact that the technologies are necessary for enhancing public safety and emergency response. It is, therefore, imperative to establish clear guidelines and regulations for using advanced surveillance technologies in law enforcement