Technological innovations for public safety evolve daily. Although the emergence of intelligent and easy-to-use public safety technologies is a well-received development, the increasing variety of new solutions can overwhelm public departments and agencies looking to improve operations.
To help public safety personnel determine which solutions can best help them perform their duties, here are a few modern innovations in public safety and security:
- Body-Worn Cameras
Body-worn cameras have become an essential tool in public safety operations. These cameras often record video evidence of any incident from the wearer's point of view. The technology helps document criminal events quicker for a more efficient investigation and review process.
Moreover, wearing body cameras increases accountability for the officers themselves. For instance, police crews are assigned body-worn cameras to ensure they always follow appropriate measures and protocols.
- In-Car Digital Video Solutions
Besides body-worn cameras, in-car digital video systems can improve officer safety by monitoring multiple angles around the vehicles, providing objective views for every encounter. Moreover, these video systems can help document the actions and behaviors of public safety personnel while managing cases.
Modern in-car systems can automatically start recording once connected sensors pick up a range of triggers to help officers better focus on the situation. Possible triggers include door openings, weapons unlocking, specific vehicle speeds, and light-bar status.
- Access to Cloud Storage
Using body-worn cameras and in-car video systems leads to enormous amounts of data. Since the data might be needed for potential evidence and court usage, public safety departments must find storage solutions to ensure the data is stored at an affordable price.
Unfortunately, local storage devices are not an option due to their limited capacity. While some companies invest in local servers, they can be expensive depending on the size of your data and the access-sharing options you select.
Instead, agencies can rely on cloud services for global scalability and safer storage at reasonable costs. Cloud-based public safety technologies like evidence management platforms maintain lofty cybersecurity standards, ensuring your data will always be backed up and its integrity maintained.
- Automated Video Redaction Software
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has empowered several demands for video recordings, placing a massive burden on the agencies processing the requests. Preparing video recordings takes a lot of time and resources, mainly when the video captured includes individual images whose identities must be protected for privacy purposes.
Fortunately, automated video redaction software can utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence to simplify editing. Users can incorporate accurate algorithms into the software solution, allowing it to identify faces, license plates, and other identifying information within the video footage. Once the system finds all possible identifiers, users can easily blur or obscure them for a more efficient redaction process.
Choosing the Best Technology for Public Safety
Public safety trends are continuously changing as technology finds opportunities for improvement. The technologies mentioned above provide multiple public safety agencies with practical tools to increase productivity and efficiency in their processes.
When choosing technology solutions for public safety, it's essential to consider how they can integrate into your existing system. A seamless transition is an excellent sign that your choice of technology can protect both agency personnel and the communities they want to help.
