Thomas Nolan, an associate professor of criminal justice at BU’s Metropolitan College and a 27-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, was recently quoted in the Boston Herald on the gray areas of the law in using such technologies.

“This is the wild, wild west. Legislative bodies and courts are years away from being able to establish any body of law to deal with this.”

Contact Tom Nolan for additional comments at 617-358-3582, tnolan@bu.edu, Twitter: @thomas_nolan

“It’s all about guns (in a society in which many are already predisposed toward violence). The ease of access to firearms for the unhinged, deranged, and mentally disordered in so many states across the country is increasingly making the law enforcement profession all the more hazardous, perilous, and fraught with danger. That we as a society refuse to engage in any meaningful dialogue or debate regarding our ubiquitous access to firearms and firearm possession (particularly in the aftermath of the shootings in Tuscon and the shooting deaths of 14 police officers in the last 24 days) is nothing short of scandalous.

“The question remains: How many more innocent people (and children), public servants, and police officers need to be shot and killed before we seriously consider outlawing private possession of handguns, assault rifles and other weapons whose only purpose in manufacture and design is to kill people?”

Contact Tom Nolan, 617-942-1311, tnolan@bu.edu, Twitter @Thomas_Nolan