Police Technology is an amazing field of study who's always evolving to ensure peace, order, public security and prevent crime using a tone of different methods and equipment to reinforce the effectiveness of the institution. To make it, every person in my field of study are following a very strict program that regroups several courses such as, physical conditioning, law and right courses, fighting and defense courses, simulation courses to prepare us for real life situations and additional training to familiarize us with the equipment related to our future job. Also, the purpose of this glossary is to provide clear definition of multiple terms that are crucial to understand for whoever is interested or have a field of study connected to Police Technology. This glossary will also be a wonderful way for you to add vocabulary to your language and demystify some misconception that you could have developed during your life to ensure you a better understanding of what is modeling the world of policing.
accelerant
noun
A substance used to aid the spread of fire.
Example: Stolen accelerants could be used as firebombs.
fr: accélérateur
clue
noun
A sign showing the probable existence of something that is found on a crime scene and is related to crime.
Example: The detective found a crucial clue at the crime scene that led to the identification of the suspect.
fr: indice
coroner
noun
An official who investigates violent, sudden, or suspicious deaths.
Example: The coroner recorded verdicts of accidental death.
fr: coroner
criminal record
noun phrase
A list of a person’s previous criminal convictions.
Example: The court said his criminal record would be expunged at the end of the year.
fr: casier judiciaire
domestic violence
noun phrase
Violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner.
Example: Police, social services, and voluntary agencies are working together to tackle domestic violence.
fr: violence domestique
handcuffs
noun
A pair of lockable linked metal rings for securing a prisoner's wrists.
Example: The policeman slipped a pair of handcuffs on his wrists.
fr: menottes
hideout
noun
A hiding place, especially one used by someone who has broken the law.
Example: The kidnappers did not want their hideout discovered.
fr: cachette
hit-and-run
adjective
Denoting or relating to a motor accident in which the vehicle involved does not stop.
Example: A man on a bicycle had been struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver.
fr: délit de fuite
inmate
noun
A person confined to an institution such as a prison or hospital.
Example: One inmate managed to escape during the riot.
fr: détenu/détenue
lawyer
noun
Someone who makes practical application of abstract legal theories and knowledge to solve specific individualized problems, or to advance the interests of those who retain them to perform legal services.
Example: She's hired a lawyer who specializes in divorce cases.
fr: avocat/avocate
miranda warning
noun phrase
A warning given by police to criminal suspects in police custody, informing them of their right to silence.
Example: Before interrogating a suspect, the police must provide the Miranda warning to ensure that the suspect is aware of their rights under the Fifth Amendment.
fr: avertissement miranda
nightstick
noun
A police officer's club or billy.
Example: The cop extends his nightstick & yells at the group to get back.
fr: matraque
pepper spray
noun phrase
A chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and temporary blindness.
Example: The police used pepper spray to bring the suspect under control.
fr: spray au poivre
police raid
noun phrase
A visit by the police, immigration officers or other officials, hoping to use the element of surprise to arrest targets.
Example: The police raid on the warehouse uncovered a large stash of stolen goods.
fr: descente de police
search warrant
noun phrase
A court order issued by a judge that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person, location, or vehicle for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found.
Example: He made an application to a magistrate for a search warrant, and it was granted.
fr: mandat de perquisition
shadowing
verb
Action to follow and to observe secretly the movements, the actions of one or several individuals.
Example: He had been up all night shadowing a team of poachers.
fr: suivre
snitch
noun
An informer or informant.
Example: They thought he was a plant or a snitch.
fr: mouchard/moucharde
trial
noun
A formal examination of evidence before a judge, and typically before a jury, in order to decide guilt in a case of criminal or civil proceedings.
Example: New evidence showed the police lied at the trial.
fr: procès
use of force continuum
noun phrase
A standard that provides police officers, probation officers, or corrections officers with guidelines as to how much force may be used against a resisting subject in a given situation.
Example: Each agency or department usually has its own use-of-force continuum, even though many of them are relatively similar to one another.
fr: continuum de l'usage de la force
witness
noun
A person who sees an event, typically a crime or accident, take place.
Example: The witness testified in court about what they saw during the incident.
