Michael Sparks, writing for Police1, reported just two years ago that a “digital transformation” is overtaking law enforcement. “Several key factors are converging to create the new face of policing, benefiting officers and the communities they protect,” he writes. “These factors include an incoming infusion of young, tech-savvy talent, the enhanced speed and connectivity of today’s wireless networks, and the capabilities of rugged mobile devices to aid in increasing efficiencies and streamlining communications.”
He goes on to explain that Millennials brought a new level of tech savvy to the workplace, one on which Gen Z is now capitalizing. “Technology is a fundamental part of policing now and can genuinely make a difference when recruiting new officers,” Sparks explains. “In fact, 91% of Gen Z said that the level of technological sophistication influences their interest in a potential employer. The agencies and departments that invest in technology will be best positioned to attract young people as they enter the workforce.”
It’s a fact that modern connectivity is making police work faster, more efficient, and safer. Computer-aided dispatch and online records management (such as through the platforms Caliber Public Safety has brought to market) bring vital context to first-response personnel, keeping them better informed while safeguarding data, making data transfer and records storage faster and more efficient, and even offering better interoperability across agencies. “In a recent study about the future of field operations,” Sparks reports, “91% of public safety respondents indicated that 4G/5G wireless networks are driving new technology investments as agencies introduce new tools to help increase officer safety, improve situational awareness, and enhance command and control.”
There’s even a link to the ongoing transformation of public and private workspaces. As more and more jobs become work-from-home, hybrid, or even work-from-anywhere arrangements, mobile computing and online records management make it possible for many public safety personnel to upload, download, access, and even organize and safeguard records from literally anywhere within the municipality (and even beyond). “With the power of computing on the edge,” says Sparks, “officers have the station’s resources along with the mobility of the patrol car, effectively creating a connected office on wheels. Mobile devices appeal to digital natives, are user-friendly and intuitive, yet flexible enough to take into all the environments in which officers may need to go. Already, many officers use mobile devices to perform central functions, including conducting photo lineups, taking victim statements, pulling mugshots, reviewing arrest records, accessing location history, capturing video and photos, collecting evidence, and more.”
Caliber Public Safety is proud to provide the software platforms and data infrastructure that keeps modern public safety agencies connected, efficient, and operating… all while keeping first-response and other emergency services personnel safer and better informed. This is the purpose of public safety software, and it’s why the tech learning curve in public safety gets easier and faster every day. Caliber, as always, remains at the forefront of that curve, today, tomorrow, and in the long-term future of public safety.
