Students

CRIM8022 – Technology, Surveillance and Policing

2026 – Session 2, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Vincent Hurley
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MCrim or BSecStudMIntell
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

From early CCTV in banks to AI-driven surveillance, technology has long shaped policing. Today, it permeates all aspects of everyday life, from tracking to predicting and influencing behaviour. As law enforcement and offenders harness digital tools, urgent questions arise about power, privacy, and justice in an increasingly monitored world. This unit adopts a critical, practice-informed approach, engaging students with real-world case studies, legal frameworks, and current technologies to explore how surveillance is implemented, regulated, and experienced in contemporary policing. It explores the expanding role of surveillance in policing, from body-worn and in-car cameras to aerial surveillance, facial recognition, and covert monitoring. Students will examine how these tools are deployed in everyday policing, while critically analysing their unintended consequences, including overreach, bias, and privacy violations. The unit also considers the legal and ethical frameworks governing surveillance and the emerging role of AI in law enforcement. Students will critically assess the ethical, legal, and operational dimensions of surveillance and its limits. They will develop the capacity to evaluate the use and misuse of technology by public and private actors and anticipate the challenges and possibilities posed by emerging technologies.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Critically evaluate the deployment and regulation of surveillance technologies in contemporary policing practices.
  • ULO2: Analyse the legal, ethical, and political dimensions of technology-enabled surveillance across local, national and international contexts.
  • ULO3: Assess the implications of surveillance and predictive technologies for civil liberties, human rights, and community trust.
  • ULO4: Examine legal, regulatory, and human rights frameworks that shape surveillance practices in policing across diverse contexts.
  • ULO5: Communicate evidence-based arguments about policing and surveillance to professional and public audiences.
  • ULO6: Formulate ethically informed and context-sensitive strategies for responding to emerging challenges in digital policing and surveillance.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Case Study Analysis 25% No 11.55pm Sunday 23rd August Individual No Open AI
Policy Brief 35% No 11.55pm Sunday 20th September Individual No Open AI
Video Presentation 40% No 11.55pm Sunday 18th October Individual No Observed

Case Study Analysis

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 11.55pm Sunday 23rd August
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

Students will critically examine a real-world example of surveillance or policing technology in practice and analyse its impact. (1000 words)


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically evaluate the deployment and regulation of surveillance technologies in contemporary policing practices.
  • Analyse the legal, ethical, and political dimensions of technology-enabled surveillance across local, national and international contexts.
  • Assess the implications of surveillance and predictive technologies for civil liberties, human rights, and community trust.

Policy Brief

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 11.55pm Sunday 20th September
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open AI

Students will develop a concise, evidence-based response to a contemporary issue in digital policing or surveillance. (1000 words)


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Critically evaluate the deployment and regulation of surveillance technologies in contemporary policing practices.
  • Analyse the legal, ethical, and political dimensions of technology-enabled surveillance across local, national and international contexts.
  • Examine legal, regulatory, and human rights frameworks that shape surveillance practices in policing across diverse contexts.
  • Formulate ethically informed and context-sensitive strategies for responding to emerging challenges in digital policing and surveillance.

Video Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 11.55pm Sunday 18th October
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

Students will communicate a well-informed position on an emerging challenge in surveillance or technology-enabled policing. (10mins)


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Assess the implications of surveillance and predictive technologies for civil liberties, human rights, and community trust.
  • Examine legal, regulatory, and human rights frameworks that shape surveillance practices in policing across diverse contexts.
  • Communicate evidence-based arguments about policing and surveillance to professional and public audiences.
  • Formulate ethically informed and context-sensitive strategies for responding to emerging challenges in digital policing and surveillance.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Delivery and Resources

Delivery and Resources

UNIT REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS 

  • You should spend an average of 12 hours per week on this unit. This includes listening to lectures prior to seminar or tutorial, reading weekly required materials as detailed in iLearn, participating in Ilearn discussion forums and preparing assessments. 
  • Internal students are expected to attend all seminar or tutorial sessions, and external students are expected to make significant contributions to on-line activities. 
  • In most cases students are required to attempt and submit all major assessment tasks in order to pass the unit. 

 

REQUIRED READINGS 

  • The citations for all the required readings for this unit are available to enrolled students through the unit iLearn site, and at Macquarie University's library site.  Electronic copies of required readings may be accessed through the library or will be made available by other means. 

 

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED 

  • Computer and internet access are essential for this unit. Basic computer skills and skills in word processing are also a requirement. 
  • This unit has an online presence. Login is via: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/
  • Students are required to have regular access to a computer and the internet. Mobile devices alone are not sufficient. 
  • Information about IT used at Macquarie University is available at  http://students.mq.edu.au/it_services/

 

SUBMITTING ASSESSMENT TASKS 

  • All text-based assessment tasks are to be submitted, marked and returned electronically.  This will only happen through the unit iLearn site.  
  • Assessment tasks must be submitted as a MS word document by the due date. 
  • Most assessment tasks will be subject to a 'TurnitIn' review as an automatic part of the submission process. 
  • The granting of extensions is subject to the university’s Special Consideration Policy. Extensions will not be granted by unit conveners or tutors, but must be lodged through Special Consideration: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration

 

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of‚ 0 (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. 

This late penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic

WORD LIMITS FOR ASSESSMENT TASKS 

  • Stated word limits include footnotes and footnoted references, but not bibliography, or title page. 
  • Word limits can generally deviate by 10% either over or under the stated figure.  

 

REASSESSMENT OF ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE SEMESTER 

  • Macquarie University operates a Final Grade Appeal procedure as part of the Assessment policy in cases where students feel their work was graded inappropriately: https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=277
  • In accordance with the Grade Appeal procedure, individual works are not subject to regrading. 

 

STAFF AVAILABILITY 

  • Department staff will endeavour to answer student enquiries in a timely manner. However, emails or iLearn messages will not usually be answered over the weekend or public holiday period. 
  • Students are encouraged to read the Unit Guide and look at instructions posted on the iLearn site before sending email requests to staff.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2026.04 of the Handbook