Beyond the Badge: Exploring the potential of AI in law enforcement

Law enforcement agencies may well know that artificial intelligence (AI) is the new sheriff in town. This game-changing technology is already being used in different ways to curb crimes and enforce laws within societies. A Pew Research Center study states that 45% of adults are equally concerned and enthusiastic about the growing use of AI in law enforcement. Regardless, police officers are integrating it into their everyday processes, and the benefits and opportunities are evident.

Let's explore AI's potential in law enforcement: the applications, benefits and opportunities.

AI applications in law enforcement

Facial recognition and identification

A human may not be able to easily detect a criminal's face and identity, but AI can if it's using a wide range of training data. Hence, facial recognition and identification are the most popularly used AI applications by law enforcement. The tool is also useful to find missing people and monitor large crowds. 

Predictive policing and crime analysis

Predicting when crimes were likely to take place is the reason why there was little to no crime in the dystopian sci-fi world of the 2002 movie "Minority Report." Could AI's predictive policing and crime analysis applications bring the world to that state? Perhaps — because AI algorithms are assisting law enforcement by predicting where crimes are likely to occur. This enables police officers to more efficiently deploy resources and stop crimes before they happen.

AI-based dispatch systems for emergency response

In cases of emergency, brains may freeze — luckily, AI is capable of working efficiently. By automating the process of sending officers to the area, AI-based dispatch systems can assist police departments in providing emergency responses that are quicker and more effective. AI algorithms can decide the best course of action and send officers to the scene in real time by examining data from various sources.

AI offers great benefits to law enforcement.

Benefits of AI in law enforcement

Technology can be used for both good and bad. However, when using it to mitigate and eliminate the bad in society, the benefits are numerous. In fact, according to Deloitte, cities might reduce crime by 30 to 40% with smart technology like AI. Other less obvious benefits of using AI in law enforcement include:

• A higher level of efficacy and efficiency.
• More effective resource allocation.
• Strengthened community ties and public safety.
• Faster and more informed decision-making.
• Reduced bias.

Opportunities for AI in law enforcement

As with the benefits of AI, the opportunities are endless — technology will continue to get better, and slowly, different industries can start taking advantage of it. Some opportunities for AI in law enforcement include:

Biometric identification: AI-powered biometric technology can be used to identify suspects and match them to criminal databases with great speed and accuracy.

Body cameras and other wearable technology: The integration of wearable technologies with body cameras can be utilized to enhance threat detection and emergency response.

Drones and autonomous vehicles: For improved surveillance of public areas, drones and autonomous vehicles with AI-powered sensors and cameras can be deployed.

Natural language processing (NLP): AI-powered NLP systems can be utilized to increase communication with communities that do not speak English and lower language barriers.

Seize every opportunity with Perle

Perle Systems is aware of AI's potential in every sector, including government. That's why we have carefully gathered solutions to help your business benefit from AI technologies and the opportunities to come. Contact us for more information.