AI SolutionsState and Local GovernmentAI & Data
Article • • 4 minute read

Powering Data-Driven Policing for Safer Communities

US state and local government officials are striving to innovate the ways in which they safeguard their cities and protect citizens in real-time. Investing in solutions that complement law enforcement and optimize decision-making through actionable intelligence will transform citizen services and public safety, helping to build stronger communities.

In this article

 The need for data-driven community policing

Law enforcement agencies possess volumes of useable data coming from a variety of sources: years' worth of traditional desktop and laptop computer data, mobile devices, and newer formats like bodycam video, cellular phone services, social media, sensor-based wearable devices and biometrics. Unfortunately, these diverse data sets are typically housed in silo'd repositories, making it very difficult to correlate and analyze them. As a result, law enforcement agencies have largely been limited with data insights that could improve their capacity to meet changing demands and expectations. 

Officers need modernized tools to analyze crime trends and track criminals faster, efficiently document investigations, and make information available to multiple constituent groups.  Of course, all of this is occurring in an environment of budget volatility, leaving departments across the country struggling to do more with less.

 Automation provides better options

Fortunately, advances in technology make it possible to bring these data silos together to enable actionable real-time intelligence that complements policing and improves citizen outcomes. The difference comes down to providing law enforcement officers with the right information at the right time. 

Sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms can very quickly analyze data aggregated from multiple sources, to generate deeper and therefore accurate predictive insights about myriad community situations. Adopting those advanced technologies through a cloud services platform removes the burden of extensive IT provisioning, staff training, testing, and continually updating diverse technologies that frequently change. Cloud technologies also provide a fast solution that scales up or down as demands change, avoiding the expense of fully provisioning for only occasional peaks. 

Substituting the undifferentiated heavy lifting of on-premise solutions with an always-on, intelligent cloud alternative empowers officers to have current information anytime and anywhere they need it. It also frees law enforcement agencies to maximize resources on their mission of saving lives, reducing crime and improving communities¾instead of spending more budget maintaining legacy IT infrastructure.

 Introducing IntelliOps

We at WWT understand the formidable challenges that law enforcement is facing; that's why we developed IntelliOps, a cloud-enabled data analytics solution purpose-built specifically for law enforcement's unique data needs. Adhering to the zero trust security model, IntelliOps ingests, curates, and analyzes data from your silo'd sources using built-in data pipelines and enhanced reporting capabilities. Actionable investigative insights are delivered through customized dashboards and reports that provide more clarity about situations on the ground – whether for planning operations or responding in the moment. Information can also be rapidly spread through configurable alerts and notifications via email or text, so officers in the field always have access to the most current data available.  

 More successful outcomes 

Modern, cloud-enabled solutions like IntelliOps stand to make a measurable impact in community policing, on multiple levels: 

  • Improved officer safety. Richer information will help officers in the field to respond more effectively to incidents, increasing situational awareness for their own safety and the safety of others involved.
  • Information push, not pull. Officers don't need to assess and search through what data sources might be relevant to a particular call; rapid analysis of aggregated data can pre-arm them with what they need to know.
  • Improved citizen services. Advanced insights can help law enforcement deliver more effective services, reducing crime, increasing safety, and enhancing programs that meet community needs.
  • Stronger community relationships. Insights obtained through advanced analytics can also help law enforcement understand unique conditions affecting specific communities – from social factors that may underpin crime patterns to traffic patterns that result in high accident rates. Solving for the unique challenges and needs of a community can foster effective community collaboration.

 For more information

IntelliOps is compliant with Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) security policy requirements. To stay up-to-date on IntelliOps, join our community.