Can Existing Technology Be Used To Better Serve and Protect Us?

          Traditionally, the practice of sending people to the moon has been widely embraced as one of the crowning achievements of US culture. I do applaud how the "space camp" model has been sometimes used in education, to challenge and educate many children. One of my nephews has benefitted from such an educational project. Yes, I know that this mission of sending people to the moon has been a source of pride and fulfillment to the involved astronauts, their families and their communities. This mission has been a mark of intellectual giftedness, courage and enterprise. Some were even contemplating sending astronauts to Mars! For many years, I had complained about the money that had been spent to send astronauts to the moon, when we faced massive need on Earth which the government would claim that we could not afford to address adequately. I never would have raised a fuss about spending money on this space mission if I did not see that the money could be better used to meet more pressing needs than to present enriched opportunties to the more fortunate. Yes, later last year, the US government has suspended the space shuttle mission to deal with the US impending budget disaster.
           Yet can budget resources be allocated to apply existing technology to better protect and serve us as a society? When I discovered social media and got involved in spreading awareness about missing people and surrounding or related issues, I discovered an interesting concept: The technology that NASA has used in their space shuttle missions and as it stands today, can be put to use to empower law enforcement officers (LEO's) to more efficiently find missing people, to more effectively investigate crimes of all kinds, and to prevent much crime and people vanishing in the first place. This would ensure a safer society for all of us. To make this all work, we would have to understand and embrace this idea and urge the government to adapt the existing technology toward these ends and allocate the national budget accordingly.
          A number of us have been circulating a petition, targeted to President Obama and to US Congressmen and US Senators, to take existing technology and to figure out how to use it to enable our LEO's to better serve us as they investigate all different types of crime and to aid them in missing persons searches. Still, in spite of the time and dedication of the few advocates of this idea and awareness of its critical importance to a safer society, I have noted a substantial resistance to this idea on the part of many missing persons and crime victim advocates. So many of these advocates spend endless hours in researching, awareness and updating the public about individual missing/unidentified persons cases, and providing updates. I praise the dedication and compassion of so many of thse advocates in their hard work. Yet it seems that so many of thse advocates seem much more comfortable getting out the word about individual cases and lamenting the issues surrounding crime and missing people. Yet so many of these same advocates either totally ignore or resist taking the time to educate themselves about the why and the how of updating so many crime victim investigations, missing persons searches and the resources and training of LEO's. A couple of people have said bluntly, "This idea will never work."
          No, I do not doubt for a minute the implicit need to continue to educate the public about crime, missing people, the surrounding issues and to research individual cases, get the word out about them and to provide updates. But if many more advocates would take time out from that to educate themselves about an idea that can be implemented that may make the work of LEO's and their own work, easier and more effective, think what a difference we could make for present and future families of missing/unidentified people and for their loved ones.
          And it has been disturbing that the media have done almost nothing to learn about, much less educate the public about, the dire need to upgrade and update criminal investigations, missing persons searches and the training and resources of LEO's. It has been suggested that media coverage of this idea would not be considered "cool" and would not help with ratings. But wouldn't the media be much more likely to listen to us if they could hear more than just a few of us plead with them to talk about this idea and to educate the public about it?
          We need to keep doing what we are doing in advocacy plus take time to educate ourselves about this idea that, admittedly, is untested and untried. But we should not write it off as impractical and unworkable until we give it an honest look. Too many lives are at stake and many future lives can possibly be saved by this idea being adapted and implemented. Since cost would be an issue, maybe we can cut costs on other things that aren't as essential, increase taxes on millionaires and billionaires,  and balance the budget in other ways.
          What is the potential of this idea? It could make missing person searches more efficient and effective. Upgrading existing technology and the training and resources of LEO's could enable them to track down runaways more easily and faster, re-uniting them with their families faster. This could enable LEO's to track down abductors, murderers and other criminals who are responsible for people's disappearances. This would increase the odds that these individuals could be found more quickly, and found safe or at least alive. If missing persons are still found deceased, the nightmares of their families could be ended more quickly as their loved ones can be identified more quickly and they can find answers faster. This idea could help prevent and reduce John and Jane Does. Aren't we all, especially families, utterly weary of the maddening slowness of so many missing persons and criminal investigations and how the nightmares of so many go on for years, even decades? So should we at least keep open mind to an idea that can help alleviate much of this? Yes, it is not perfect but aren't we ripe for a change in how things are currently done in these matters? So if we are really serious about those who we advocate for and yearn to help, we need to give this idea a fair shot, and consider it as we educate ourselves and appeal to those in power about it.
          This proposed idea could also aid LEO's to prevent and end many nonviolent crimes that also endanger us, if not physically. With our fear of identity thieves, many forms of fraud and corruption and countless online criminals, we should at least consider the use of existing technology to aid LEO's to prevent and end many of thse crimes. For it may help LEO's track down many of such criminals, many who are slick and able to escape detection, especially so many of them who are able to hide behind computer screens and do untold damage. We advocates all need to work together not only in crime victim and missing persons advocacy, but to, in much larger numbers, not only educate ourselves and others about the need to upgrade and update LEO's jobs in protecting and serving us. Those in power need to listen to us and do everything they can to implement the technology that we now have. Together we can make this happen.
          Yes, there are concerns about privacy and cost as well as concerns about the "nuts and bolts" of using this technology efficiently, with government "red tape." True, I am talking about a mere idea, but it has the potential to become much more. Lives are on the line. So before you write this off as nonsense and those of us advocate for it as not knowing what we are talking about, I challenge you to please click the links I will provide below and take time to educate yourself. And if you are convinced that this may have merit, I urge you to sign the petition at the link I will provide below. If you continue to have concerns or objections to this idea, I welcome your comments.

http://findthemissing.vze.com/  
This website provides much information about the whys and the hows of putting existing technology to use to update and upgrade missing person and criminal investigations and that would provide more resources and better training for LEO's.

http://www.change.org/petitions/petitionthe-media-needs-to-educate-the-public-to-help-find-missing-children-women-men-quickly-reduce-other-crime-using-existing-military-technology
This is the petition about this, targeted to President Obama and to US Congressmen and US Senators, that some of us have been circulating. I encourage everyone to sign it.