By Police1 BrandFocus Staff
The rapid advancement of technology is creating more data than ever before. In fact, the volume of data across the world doubles at least every two years. The reality for law enforcement is clear: Transforming information into actionable insights is key to unlocking the ways that data can empower agencies.
At the 2024 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference, the Future Policing Institute partnered with Peregrine – a data integration platform for law enforcement – to host a roundtable discussion with top public safety innovators to discuss these issues. The panel, moderated by Christian Quinn, managing principal of Fulcrum Innovation LLC, featured:
- Elizabeth Daitz, assistant commissioner of police, Suffolk County, N.Y.
- Michael Gulinello, deputy inspector, New York Police Department; commanding officer, strategic technology, and small unmanned aircraft systems program development.
- Warren Driechel, deputy chief, Edmonton Police Service, Alberta, Canada.
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Here are the key takeaways from their discussion on how agencies can enhance interoperability, the challenges around integrating critical data systems, and how these efforts can lead to better decision-making and enhanced public safety.
Defining interoperability: Why it’s critical for law enforcement
Christian Quinn opened the discussion by emphasizing the importance of interoperability in policing. He recounted a personal experience when a breakdown in communication during a multi-agency tactical operation nearly had dire consequences. As they surrounded a fugitive’s hideout, the pre-surveillance team realized the position of the team approaching to affect the arrest was compromised, but struggled to alert them in time. “Interoperability can sometimes literally be life or death,” Quinn said. “When you can’t talk to each other in this line of work, people can get hurt.”
While that incident happened over a decade ago, difficulties in sharing intel and data persist today. NYPD Deputy Inspector Michael Gulinello pointed to the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump as a clear example of what happens when information gaps occur during critical operations. “[External interoperability] is still a real problem between three-letter agencies and local agencies. In Butler, Pennsylvania, what was that? A breakdown of communication,” said Deputy Inspector Gulinello. “One agency is not talking to another one. There was a disconnect.”
“Interoperability can sometimes literally be life or death”
The panelists agreed that the term interoperability goes beyond communication. It encompasses the integration of various technologies like computer-aided dispatch (CAD), record management systems (RMS), and automated license plate recognition (ALPR). For the Edmonton Police Service, which manages over 200,000 calls annually and has 900 patrol officers out of its 2,000 sworn, managing new tech can strain operations and distract from core policing. According to Deputy Chief Warren Driechel, since the multiple systems his agency uses all have their own logins and interfaces, officers are spending increased time on administrative tasks: “They’re off the street more and more so integrating those systems is really important.”
Key takeaways:
- Integration is critical: To improve efficiency and keep the focus on policing, agencies must be able to easily unify the separate systems they have to manage.
- Internal vs. external interoperability: Both are crucial. Internal systems should work together seamlessly, allowing agencies to access their data across all of their systems. Agencies must also ensure seamless communication with external partners, including neighboring authorities, federal agencies, and other partners inside and outside the criminal justice system.
Taming data: Turning information into action
One of the major themes of the discussion was how agencies are grappling with the sheer volume of data they collect. From body-worn camera (BWC) footage to ALPR and CAD data, the challenge is no longer gathering information but making it actionable.
The NYPD, which gets 12 million calls for service a year and has 33,000 sworn, created a way for officers to receive and review relevant information before responding to calls. “We had to sit down and think, ‘How are we going to contextualize this data and make it easily digestible for the boots on the ground?’” said Deputy Inspector Gulinello. The solution was to create an “Overview Tab” in the agency’s CAD system that pulls all relevant data about a location, such as arrest histories and warrants, into one screen. “If you make it too cumbersome, cops aren’t going to look at it,” he stressed.
Another interoperability success story can be found in Suffolk County. “When we started our body-worn camera program in 2022, we immediately used an API to connect our CAD system to the body camera footage,” Assistant Commissioner Elizabeth Daitz shared. “Now, when an officer activates their body camera, the CC [central complaint number associated with the incident] pops up.” All footage is linked instantly and searchable with other records, resulting in easier case management.
Key takeaways:
- Simplify access: Officers need quick, easy access to data in the field. Systems should aggregate all relevant information in one place to reduce time spent sifting through different platforms.
- Data contextualization: Making data actionable by layering and organizing it is crucial for decision-making on the ground.
“If you make it too cumbersome, cops aren’t going to look at it”
Balancing act: Data democratization and guardrails
With great data comes great responsibility. One of the trickier aspects of interoperability is deciding how much data should be available to officers while ensuring proper security measures are in place to prevent misuse.
Assistant Commissioner Daitz raised an important policy question: “Do I want to democratize access to information so every patrol officer can search, and use, and be driven by data-informed decisions? Or do I centralize access with guardrails?” She shared how Suffolk County centralized certain programs in its crime analysis center to ensure trained personnel would be the primary users of the technology. This way, she explained, officers still get decision-ready information, but compliance is maintained.
When the NYPD first rolled out internal access to body camera footage, they “had an issue where officers were critiquing each other and their friends in other commands. We had to go back to the drawing board and look at permissions,” Deputy Inspector Gulinello said. He also mentioned the addition of watermarks on body camera footage to track unauthorized use. “When someone tries to put a video out that’s not supposed to be disseminated to the public, we know who did it,” he added.
“Do I want to democratize access to this information so every patrol cop can search for, use, and be driven by data-informed decisions? Or do I want it centralized with guardrails?”
Key takeaways:
- Centralized vs. decentralized access: Agencies must weigh the benefits of giving officers access to data against the risks of misuse.
- Security measures: Implementing controls like watermarks and permissions is crucial to ensure the responsible use of sensitive data.
The dos – and the don’ts – of finding the right solutions
The panelists all agreed that procurement is one of the biggest challenges in building interoperable systems. From navigating complex contracts to ensuring vendors meet interoperability standards, law enforcement agencies face many obstacles in building the right tech stack.
After some negative experiences with vendors, Edmonton decided to professionalize the process. “We built a procurement office. That changed the game for us,” said Deputy Chief Driechel. Now, their vendors help with change management and other elements of integration.
“If a vendor isn’t your partner, they shouldn’t be your vendor”
“If a vendor isn’t your partner, they shouldn’t be your vendor,” Deputy Inspector Gulinello added. “If something breaks at 3 a.m. and I call a vendor, they gotta pick up the phone because it could be a critical system. You have to be very scrupulous. Read your contracts and make sure you take your time. We have seen many companies just come in and try to sell you the Golden Gate Bridge, and we’re like, ‘No, it doesn’t do that.’”
Key takeaways:
- Vendor partnerships: Treat vendors as long-term partners and ensure they are available for critical issues.
- Procurement challenges: Agencies need to professionalize procurement and push for solutions that can integrate with existing systems.
The path forward: Collaboration and strategic planning
Looking ahead, the panelists agreed that true interoperability requires collaboration – not just among law enforcement agencies, but also between public safety organizations and private sector vendors. It also requires involving end-users in decision-making and long-term thinking.
“[As an industry] we’re not great at building road maps so we don’t have a long-term vision,” Deputy Chief Driechel remarked. “A lot is determined by budgets at the time. It’s reactionary to needs or legislation. We’re rolling out technology before we’ve figured out how it works … What could we do better? Think, sit down, be strategic, build those road maps.”
Quinn illustrated the need for comprehensive planning by sharing an interoperability challenge his former agency encountered with the court system while rolling out a body-worn camera program. “We were considerably down the road and the [courthouses] were like, ‘We don’t have screens in every courtroom.’ Who is going to buy those?”
Another crucial piece of planning is bringing in line officers as part of the evaluation process. “I’ve been brought into the fold on certain technologies late in the game, and I’m like, ‘This doesn’t make sense,’” Deputy Inspector Gulinello said, adding that an application might work well in a vendor’s context but not on patrol.
Agencies will continue to navigate obstacles with the introduction and deployment of technology, but the trajectory remains promising. Assistant Commissioner Daitz closed by praising the vendor community’s increasing focus on public safety. They have “spurred progress and innovation and accessibility in the technology space that we’ve never had before,” she said. “I’m grateful for that, and I find that to be extremely exciting.”
