artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other technological revolutions to streamline everything from aging data entry systems to treatment of workplace stress.
As a result, a growing number of departments are partnering with firms like Mark43, a tech firm behind a cloud-computing platform for managing arrest and case records that makes it easier for law enforcement officials to share and analyze data. The company has worked with police in Seattle and Boston, among other major cities.
New technology can be a secondary consideration for city police departments – even those with larger-than-average budgets. Of a proposed $360 million budget for the Seattle Police Department in 2019, roughly 80 percent is earmarked for personnel-related expenses. Chris Fisher, the department’s chief strategy officer, said officers “would have to re-type the same information in four different reports” before city police implemented cloud-computing technology.
“If you don’t have a healthy officer, you’re not going to have a healthy department or a healthy relationship with the community,” Fisher said.
“Anything that anybody does in the application is audited,” Polega said, adding that the system is capable of “automatic redaction” of police files to protect the privacy of victims.
Fitzgerald noted that Boston police have yet to implement drones – despite their potential investigatory benefits – due to the potential impact on community relations.
