Improving public safety is very much a data challenge
Every time a first responder rushes to a crime scene or other emergency, they’re essentially dealing with a data problem: They don’t know if someone on the other side of the door desperately needs their help or aims to do them harm. More data could help the situation.
So far, the technology industry hasn’t done a good job of supplying law enforcement and other first responders with competent data-sharing systems. Public safety tech has been characterized by clunky information systems that don’t easily integrate with each other. And the providers of these systems have failed to take common consumer technologies, such as voice interfaces, location tracking, and video streaming, and package them as effective crime-fighting tools.
Police, firefighters, and paramedics face a difficult moment. As the public rightfully demands greater accountability, they are short-staffed, pandemic-fatigued, and dealing with new threats to public safety. Here’s how better tech can help.
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