At a time when 70% of law enforcement agencies are grappling with staffing shortages, new technology has emerged as a crucial force multiplier to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. Such tech solutions allow understaffed departments to do more with less, extending their capabilities and improving public safety.
This is especially important because it enables officers to focus on critical, high-value tasks rather than being bogged down by administrative or time-intensive duties. Let's explore some key force multipliers and how they benefit police agencies.
Automatic License Plate Readers
ALPR technology has revolutionized how police monitor and track vehicles, enhancing community safety. Here are a few important features of ALPR:
Efficiency: ALPRs can scan thousands of license plates per hour, far exceeding human capabilities.
Real-time alerts: officers receive immediate notifications about stolen vehicles, wanted persons, or vehicles of interest. Solutions like Fleet 3 are mobile, which helps solve cases more efficiently and effectively.
Improved investigations: Data from ALPR can help solve crimes by providing valuable leads and evidence.
In an era of staffing shortages, ALPR acts as additional "eyes on the street." They exemplify how technology can amplify law enforcement’s reach, wielding a powerful tool for community safety and crime prevention.
Real-Time Crime Centers (RTCCs)
RTCCs serve as the nerve center for modern policing operations. This single pane of glass is where an agency’s data can be consolidated to drive better public safety outcomes, enabling real-time decision-making, streamlined communication between officers and analysts, and proactive resource allocation to address high-risk areas. Furthermore, we are now seeing how cloud-based RTCCs are putting intelligence into the palm of an officer’s hand.
Key features of an RTCC include:
Data integration: RTCCs consolidate information from various sources, including cameras, sensors, and databases.
Rapid response: analysts can provide officers with crucial information in real-time, enhancing situational awareness and officer safety.
Predictive policing: by analyzing patterns and trends, RTCCs can help agencies allocate their limited resources more effectively.
While RTCCs have grown 148% in implementation during the past four years, they remain profoundly underutilized: fewer than 1% of all U.S. policing agencies have adopted this powerful system (as of August 2024). An RTCC lets a handful of analysts support an entire department, making it a missed opportunity for understaffed agencies that are missing out on one.
Drone as First Responder (DFR)
As technology reshapes public safety, drones are becoming indispensable, helping resource-strapped agencies improve response times and gain critical situational awareness. DFR addresses staffing shortages by acting as an "initial responder" that provides critical situational awareness, reducing unnecessary deployments of officers and optimizing resources.These uncreweed aerial vehicles offer speed, precision, and unique bird-like insights, transforming how agencies tackle emergencies in a variety of ways:
Faster response: DFR drones autonomously deploy upon receiving 911 calls, often arriving before ground units to provide real-time visual intelligence.
Enhanced situational awareness: Aerial perspectives help officers assess unfolding situations, such as active crimes or traffic accidents, before arriving on the scene.
De-escalation support: By offering a clear view of incidents, drones enable officers to approach situations with a better understanding, reducing the likelihood of escalations.
Remote monitoring: During events or unfolding incidents, drones act as a virtual patrol, offering continuous oversight and intelligence without diverting personnel.
Efficient resource allocation: Drones help agencies determine whether additional ground resources are needed, reducing unnecessary deployments and freeing officers for higher-priority tasks.
For agencies with limited personnel, drones can act as an initial response unit, gathering crucial information and guiding ground resources more efficiently. Drones aren’t just tools—they’re automated first responders, bolstering human efforts and redefining how agencies protect and serve their communities. Learn more about Drone as First Responder.
Digital Evidence Management Systems (DEMS)
DEMS serve as a powerful force multiplier for law enforcement agencies, enabling more efficient workflows, better case outcomes, and enhanced public trust. Integral benefits of modern, cloud-based DEMS, like Axon Evidence, include:
Central organization: the system stores and brings order to vast amounts of digital evidence from multiple sources.
Task automation: tagging, categorizing, and searching evidence get done without time-consuming human effort.
Seamless collaboration: evidence is shared effortlessly and securely among officers and departments.
Information access: officers get critical intelligence quickly, even from the field.
By leveraging DEMS, agencies can significantly increase their operational efficiency, allowing a smaller workforce to manage larger caseloads and process evidence more effectively. With advancements in cloud technology and automation, DEMS can position agencies to adapt more effectively to the evolving demands of modern law enforcement.
Harnessing AI to revolutionize policing tools and workflows
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming law enforcement in many different ways. Solutions like Draft One have significantly reduced report-writing times for agencies—cutting the time it takes by 50% or more—while improving the quality of the reports at the same time. By reducing the amount of time police spend on report writing, agencies can help reduce officer burnout and give their officers more time to focus on the more human-centric aspects of policework.
Beyond Draft One, there are other AI solutions acting as force multipliers for police agencies. We’ve already mentioned ALPR, but other solutions include Redaction Assistant, which can cut redaction time by up to 70% and Auto-Transcribe, which has a number of time saving applications. By integrating AI into different workflows, agencies can respond more effectively to incidents, prevent crimes proactively, and foster safer communities.
When it comes to AI, the future is bright. Watch this space for even more force multipliers in the near future.
Benefits for understaffed agencies
Force multipliers provide crucial advantages for understaffed agencies, effectively helping them overcome resource constraints. One key benefit is increased coverage—technologies like ALPRs and drones enable agencies to monitor larger areas with fewer officers, a vital capability for departments facing limited manpower.
These tools also enhance officer safety by delivering real-time information through RTCCs and drones, allowing officers to approach situations with greater preparation and caution. This protects officers and boosts their confidence and effectiveness in the field.
In addition, technologies such as Draft One and Axon Evidence can enhance operational efficiency. By streamlining time-consuming processes, these tools allow officers to focus on critical responsibilities that demand human judgment and direct engagement. This isn’t just about increasing productivity—it’s about making the job more rewarding and fulfilling.
Finally, adopting advanced technologies can positively influence recruitment efforts, particularly by appealing to a tech-savvy generation of potential recruits who value modern, innovative workplaces. Simply put, agencies must start incorporating tools that younger demographics have come to expect.