IELTS, TOEFL and PTE Academic Writing Task, the Essay
The Essay Question:
Crime rates will fall as advances in technology make it easier to detect and prevent crimes.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
The Essay:
With the ease of detecting and stopping criminal activities owing to progress in technology, it is felt that the frequency of illegal activities will drop. I completely disagree with this view, since the same advanced technology will also permit people to seek ways and means to perpectuate offences.
To commence with, criminals have always found tools and strategies to circumvent methods of detecting and curbing crimes. As it is said, where there is a will, there is a way. So also with illegal acts. For example, the burglar alarms, cameras and police force placed at strategic locations, at susceptible places of high risk such as banks and jewellery shops, have failed to cease burglary or shooting at point-blank range. This trend of overcoming all guards, will be seen in coming years as well.
Additionally, the advancement in technology proffers novel methods to the people with evil intentions to loot guarded riches, murder or kidnap. This can be evidenced from the fact that terrorism has been on the rise globally, notwithstanding state-of-the-art weapons to crush it. Terrorists more often than not, are utilising the internet, social media and mobile applications to widen their network and will continue to do so.
However, some contend that technological advances, will lead to lowering crimes, as a myriad techniques have been devised to safeguard society and institutions. They believe that modern gadgets, security staff with surveillance cameras and guns will ward off offenders and greatly aid in the decline of offences.
To conclude, according to me, the giant leap forward made in technology will not decrease crimes or its detection in times ahead, since the same will be used by criminals to their advantage, to ruthlessly tread the illegal path and have unlawful gains.