Advancements in police technology have fundamentally changed how departments operate

Consider the technology that makes effective policing possible. Where would we be without the ability to conduct DNA testing—or even fingerprint suspects? How would police communicate and coordinate without computers? What about radios? This is technology that today’s law enforcement officers can take for granted, but it wasn’t always that way.

The truth is the technology involved in policing has evolved dramatically—even in just the past several years. From body-worn cameras and license plate recognition to artificial intelligence (AI)-based analytics and real-time crime centers, the tools and resources available to law enforcement are advancing at an incredible rate. AI-powered technologies are now providing law enforcement professionals with real-time situational awareness capabilities, serving as a key force multiplier that allows police to deploy resources more efficiently. As police technology grows, becoming both more advanced and more accessible, it’s important for departments to understand how to deploy that technology effectively to better protect the communities they serve.

How police technology has evolved
Perhaps the most obvious example of how far police technology has come is the simple fact that computers only first began appearing in police cruisers about 25 years ago. Before that, officers had to rely solely on radio to relay and receive information. There were no body-worn cameras, and there was certainly no cloud. If officers needed to record and submit video evidence, it had to be manually gathered and logged into evidence.

Today, body-worn cameras are mandatory in many agencies and are growing increasingly advanced. Body-worn video can be livestreamed and transcribed in real time, demonstrating how advancements in the software behind police technology are often more dramatic than advancements in the devices themselves. Increasingly powerful analytics like these are playing a critical role in helping law enforcement effectively perform their jobs.

Consider an incident last year in Georgia, when a gunman opened fire in an Atlanta medical facility and fled before police arrived at the scene. Not long ago, that gunman might have been able to evade capture indefinitely. Instead, his image was captured by one of the thousands of cameras monitored by the Atlanta Police Department and the license plate of his truck was picked up by a camera in Cobb County—nearly 15 miles away from the original shooting. Thanks to clear images, reliable analytics and collaboration between departments, the shooter was quickly apprehended.

That incident is the perfect example of how advancements in technology have led to more effective policing and safer communities. While security cameras have been around for decades, the advent of analytics capable of quickly and accurately recognizing colors, categorizing vehicles, or reading license plates has changed the game significantly. It would not have been reasonable for police to manually monitor almost 20,000 camera feeds in the hopes of spotting the suspect in Atlanta; instead, modern analytics automatically identified him and alerted local police, who were able to quickly apprehend him before he could cause further harm.

How modern police technology is making law enforcement more efficient
Of course, the incident in Georgia is just one example. At a high level, modern police technology allows law enforcement to be more proactive and quickly respond to potential criminal activity. The growth of artificial intelligence has played a significant role, enabling advanced analytics capabilities, powered by metadata, which now come standard on many surveillance devices. This allows visual sensors to relay real-time information to law enforcement agencies, alerting them to a potential crime in progress and providing video of the incident. Audio analytics can detect developing incidents, aggressive behavior and noise pollution, providing the opportunity for immediate response. When combined with vision sensors, these audio capabilities significantly enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the system.

With this situational awareness, officers no longer need to walk into a situation blindly because they have the information they need to better understand how to approach the scene. This doesn’t just apply to equipment actively owned and maintained by law enforcement. Public or private organizations can now partner with law enforcement to offer an unprecedented level of situational awareness when they are called to the scene. For example, when a citizen calls to report a crime to dispatch and provides verbal details, they are already two or three minutes behind the actual events. Real-time crime centers shorten investigative timelines and offer immediate actionable information for officers who are already en route. When police are called to the scene of a robbery, they can view video evidence of how many perpetrators there are, whether they are armed and their description before they arrive. Dispatchers, then, can ensure the right number of officers are deployed in each situation.

This technology has also helped police departments be more efficient. Having an officer on every corner is neither feasible nor particularly desirable, but cameras that can detect and alert as events happen allow police to deploy resources more effectively. This is especially valuable during large gatherings, such as parades or sporting events, where it can be difficult for officers at ground level to see what is happening around them. AI-based analytics can detect potential criminal activity like aggressive behavior or the sound of breaking glass or raised voices, and alert dispatchers in real time, allowing the nearest officers to be directed to the location immediately. This allows a smaller number of officers to cover a wide area more effectively, providing the necessary level of security. What’s more, this same technology is being used to alert dispatch to incidents like car accidents, dramatically reducing the response time for EMTs and no doubt saving lives.

It’s also important to consider the role modern police technology plays in gathering forensic evidence. Law enforcement personnel can now search video based on object attributes, which makes it significantly easier to identify potential suspects or suspicious items, even across multiple video sources. This means, for example, that police can track the movements of a suspect wearing a red shirt as they move across different camera zones. As in the Georgia example, deep learning analytics allow police to monitor suspect movements or identify a vehicle involved in a crime. This is particularly effective when information is shared across different jurisdictions, and many of the software solutions used by departments are designed to facilitate that sort of collaboration. As technology fosters interdepartmental cooperation, fleeing across state or county lines is no longer as advantageous for criminals as it once was.

Today’s technology is a boon for departments, but responsible use is critical
Modern police technology can provide significant advantages to today’s departments. However, that doesn’t mean every solution is right for every department. Police departments are increasingly leveraging AI to enhance public safety and operational efficiency. This requires a strict adherence to policy on access and dissemination of data. By responsibly using AI, these departments can analyze vast amounts of data to predict and prevent crime, ensure unbiased decision-making, and uphold the highest standards of privacy and civil rights.

When used effectively, modern police technology—powered by advanced, deep learning analytics—is giving law enforcement a leg up against criminals. Modern surveillance devices are more capable than ever of identifying criminal activity in real time and providing officers with actionable intelligence needed to approach potentially dangerous situations with confidence. What’s more, these solutions are helping departments deploy their limited resources more judiciously, enabling them to more efficiently and effectively protect the communities they serve. With surveillance devices becoming more powerful and analytics more advanced, this technology will become increasingly useful and influential as we move into the future.

Dean Cunningham is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in law enforcement and technology. With two decades of dedicated service in law enforcement, Cunningham has honed his skills in investigations, technology implementation and team leadership. Cunningham transitioned into the technology sector, leveraging his expertise to contribute to innovative solutions where he currently serves as the segment development manager, public safety, Americas at Axis Communications.