Deltek Justice/Public Safety 2012 predictions: Smart Policing

Deltek Sr. Analyst Jeff Webster reports.

As we embark on a new year, the Deltek justice and public safety team wants to provide some insight into 2012 as it relates to public safety technologies. This entire week will be dedicated to predictions and analysis of the market for certain mission-critical technologies in 2012. Topics will include next generation 911, radio communications, surveillance, courts/corrections, and today’s topic – smart policing.

In the past year, Deltek has published a few blogs on smart policing and innovative policing; however, the market is only in its infancy, so we haven’t been able to dive as deep into the subject as we’d prefer. Fortunately, we believe that 2012 and the years to come will see a drastic increase in new policing methods. These changes will be a direct result of budget constraints and new technologies, and will be fueled by a need to collect more data and use it in a proactive way.

One technology we anticipate more adoption of is that of predictive policing, which has always been at the forefront of many smart policing initiatives, but only now has become a reality, and in some cases, a requirement. Agencies now have the means to collect ten times more data than they could in the early 2000s. This spur in data collection has forced large software companies to start thinking in terms of public safety data analysis. Data analytics is now included in many backend records systems, crime reporting software, and video surveillance networks. These analytical tools are allowing agencies to be more proactive with their policing methods while at the same time reducing the amount of required “reactive” policing. It is anticipated that 2012 will yield more opportunities for growth in this market segment via pilot projects across many local jurisdictions.

For the complete blog, go here.