In a very dangerous world where the criminals and terrorists hold crucial aces in the pack, it is time to establish a national identification mechanism that is required to be held by every resident.
Anonymity is too easy for criminals and terrorists. There are thousands of criminals who have fraudulently changed their identities walking anonymously in civil society. Porous borders make it easy for criminals and undesirables to infiltrate a vulnerable community.
A national identification card offers a great tool to law enforcement in the fight against crime. It will enhance community safety and wellbeing.
With today’s digital environment, such a card can actually be a great convenience. Imagine all the cards in your wallet — from your driver’s licence, social security card and health insurance card to your credit and debit cards — all amalgamated into one card, which is backed up by secure data that can be swiftly replaced if lost. The technology to do this is here today.
Difficult to forge
A national ID card would be uniform and difficult to alter or forge. It also would be difficult to lose intentionally because of GPS tracking technology. It would not get lost in the maze of multiple bureaucracies as these bureaucracies would link with the central secure database that holds the information of every card holder, and would of course be backed up securely. A national ID card could actually make government more efficient by enabling greater cross-functionality and effective information sharing.
Strict criteria would need to be met for any police officer or investigator asking to see an individual’s national ID card. Although required to be carried by all residents, the card should only ever be demanded in the course of an investigation or valid suspicion of criminal activity.
Of course, a central agency coordinating this “pooling of national data” would have to exist. It would be managed by a type of director of national intelligence — a hugely sensitive position. In turn, that new agency would have to be regulated by a second independent agency accountable to elected lawmakers.
The national ID card would contain a chip and the holder’s fingerprint. It would possess a tracking device that would allow the DNI’s office to know 24/7 where the holder is situated. It would contain the holder’s internet and online data usage, as well as cell phone data usage. It would most certainly be effective in combating terrorism, and would allow the police, through its links with the office of the DNI, greater tracking and surveillance capability.
For visitors
All visitors would be required to hold a temporary national ID card issued at the immigration desk with their demographic information and travel information. Again, GPS positioning would allow the DNI to know their every move. Illegal immigrants would be easily caught as they would not possess a card when asked to produce it.
As a tool of investigation, it would give the DNI powerful intrusive capability. However, that capability would be heavily regulated by law.
For example, the DNI would know all our dirty little secrets. However, he or she would only be able to offer data and information to police and investigators that is deemed critical to national security after this has been assessed by the regulating agency.
Prior knowledge of a murder, robbery, drug rendezvous, white-collar crime and so on would enable police and investigators to be more proactive in the fight against crime.
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