4 ways IT modernization is changing policing
Technology is helping to create more productive and collaborative police agencies.
Police officers and other first responders face difficult challenges every day as they serve and protect our communities. The IT professionals supporting public safety agencies face a different kind of challenge.
According to a new survey of police agencies conducted by Police Executive Research Forum, “Agencies are losing officers faster than they can hire new ones, so total sworn staffing has continued to decline.”1
In fact, total sworn staffing across police departments has dropped 5% in just the last three years.1
As communities recruit more officers, the gaps in productivity must be filled to ensure continuous public safety. Technology has become an ally in that struggle.
Reporting on the go
Mobile technology has streamlined routine paperwork for some agencies, but there’s much room for improvement. Even with mobile reporting options available, 68% of public safety professionals say they still need to return to their offices or stations for paperwork.2
A survey of police agencies conducted during a Mark43 webinar found:3
- 85% use vehicle mobile data terminals (MDTs)
- 62% use smartphones and tablets
- 54% use body-worn cameras
- 38% use drones
- 8% use watches or other wearable technologies
Adoption of mobile technology keeps growing, saving agencies considerable time and resources on routine reporting. First responders can accomplish far more in the field with a higher degree of productivity and vital information thanks to 5G- and FirstNet Built with AT&T-approved devices, like the Lenovo ThinkPad® X13 i, powered by Intel vPro,® an Intel® Evo™ Design, with the latest Intel® Core™ processors and Windows 11 Pro.
Along with those improvements in reporting and evidence-gathering in the field, the processing of evidence may present even further gains in productivity.
Automating evidence handling and storage
Police officers are often in a state of continuous evidence collection, especially with body cameras. The handling and storage of that evidence often requires multiple different types of media, devices, and reporting – eating up hours of valuable time in an officer’s week.
This has started to change thanks to automation and cloud-based evidence processing. Of police agencies surveyed, 35% say they have already adopted a cloud-based digital evidence management system.4
Cloud-based evidence processing can add clarity to the chain of evidence. Officers can send digital evidence directly from the scene to systems that can automate the storage, analyzing, and cataloging of vital information – tasks once reserved for long hours of human productivity.
When evidence is needed for cases, the dissemination of information can be streamlined as well. The cost savings for all agencies involved is massive.
The need for more efficient data and video processing becomes central to investigations with a focus on expert support and modern workstations like the Lenovo ThinkStation P360 Ultra featuring Intel vPro,® powered by Intel vPro,® an Intel® Evo™ Design, with the latest Intel® Core™ processors and Windows 11 Pro.
Collaborating with other agencies
How many fugitives and suspects from other jurisdictions, are currently in your community? How many suspects have fled your community to parts unknown?
Digitizing information not only increases productivity within your own agency, but also makes it possible to collaborate with fellow agencies. Digital analysis makes crime solving and prevention possible across all borders.
Interpol, the international policing agency, agrees, “Collaborating across bureaucratic, jurisdictional and disciplinary boundaries will be increasingly key to solve complex, transnational crimes.”5
Public safety agencies have never been this connected. It is imperative to keep the lines of communication open with solutions like the Lenovo ThinkSmart Hub for Microsoft Teams Rooms, which can transform any room into a connected conference space with innovative, built-in security and manageability solutions.
Augmenting community service with AI
AI technology is already being employed to serve communities with customized, automated responses to constituent questions – freeing up law enforcement time and resources.5
AI is also being used to improve the security of the devices police agencies are using every day. Data security in public safety workplaces is especially fraught due to the sensitive nature of the information collected and the reputational damage inflicted by a breach. This is why 82% of IT leaders plan to invest in AI-driven cybersecurity over the next two years.6
Those security investments must begin from the device supply chain on up through the hardware, software, and services to provide a foundation in which AI security can be effective.
The protection of Lenovo ThinkShield and Intel® Hardware Shield, available as part of Intel vPro®, begins in R&D, extends through the supply chain, and protects the devices throughout the entirety of their lifecycle. Working together with the security innovations of Windows 11 Pro, you can remain confident in the foundation you have set for progress in public safety technology.
The future of technology for policing has arrived. How will your agency take advantage of the latest advancements in productivity, collaboration, and security? Learn more on our government page.
