Data is a key component to helping law enforcement and emergency services improve public safety, but there can be too much of a good thing.
Agencies today are inundated with data. The flood of incoming information from dispatch, records, alarms, alerts, social media and other internal and external systems can overwhelm and distract personnel or lead to inaccurate assessments of incidents. Teams need help sifting through the data to uncover insights both during and after an emergency.
That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in. Working behind the scenes, assistive AI can do the heavy lifting, making connections and recommendations faster than busy people can. Everyone, from dispatchers and first responders to crime analysts and city officials, can benefit.
Let’s explore a few scenarios.
Dispatchers and First Responders
During an incident, dispatchers and first responders need the right information to help them understand and manage a situation quickly and appropriately. That includes information to ensure the safety of responders.
AI embedded within dispatch systems can provide actionable insights during an emergency, detecting patterns from among the different 911 calls and making recommendations to dispatchers. This provides vital insights about emergencies as they unfold in real-time – from determining links among related calls and events to understanding a rapidly growing incident.
Real-Time Intelligence Centers
Real-time intelligence centers operate 24/7 and have a bird’s-eye view of incidents and information across a city or region, guiding resource deployment and investigations. While these centers combine multiple data sources and systems, not all data is relevant to the problems these agencies are trying to solve.
AI can put the ‘real-time’ in real-time intelligence, making it possible to flag anomalies and trends from among city-wide data and make proactive recommendations that teams can act upon.
Detectives and Crime Analysts
For detectives, having a unified view of crime can enhance their ability to solve crimes faster and more efficiently, while crime analysts need to mine data from multiple sources, identify patterns and analyze trends to help detectives and patrol divisions do their jobs effectively.
Much of this is done through database research of past events. However, an AI system could be set up to monitor data pertaining to specific locations or keywords (such as aliases or descriptions) and alert detectives and analysts when a new, relevant incident or report is logged. These proactive notifications can help police stay on top of events and make connections faster than before.
Multiple Agencies and Operations
While AI can play a major role at the tactical level of public safety, it can also help multiple city services collaborate to see the full picture of data and incidents happening in their jurisdictions.
In a city operations center, AI can mine not just public safety data, but also data from traffic management, public works, utilities and more, providing a comprehensive, real-time view of a city and alerting stakeholders of relevant issues. With this deeper connection across a city at all levels of operation, officials can better align services, resources and response.
The benefits of leveraging data to drive better decision making for public safety have long been clear. But how can we take advantage of this opportunity in a time of rapidly growing data from multiple sources delivered faster than ever before?
Assistive AI provides an answer. It gives agencies a second set of eyes, working alongside dispatchers, investigators, analysts and others. By making connections between data, it can help deliver greater insights for departments and better outcomes for the public.
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