Managing Staffing Challenges: Why Police Departments Should Seek out Tech Partnerships

By Alex Nollmann, Senior Director of Government at Panasonic Connect

One key challenge has prevailed across the law enforcement industry in recent years. Regardless of size or location, most departments are facing significant staffing shortages. While total sworn staffing rates have increased recently, law enforcement agencies still struggle to adequately staff their agencies to keep pace with rising responsibilities.

The effects of staffing challenges can be felt in all layers of a department. Officers and deputies on the ground must move faster from call to call to serve all community needs. However, 49% of officers say their response time to high-priority calls has increased. In some cases, investigators have had to fill in as patrol officers as departments respond to rising crime rates. And department leaders have had to consider new methods to recruit new officers, enhance productivity, and ensure a positive employee experience. Some departments have implemented sign-on bonuses and higher wages to attract more new hires while deploying new technology to enhance the officer experience.

Panasonic Connect’s latest survey of law enforcement leaders uncovered the challenges, priorities, and solutions top of mind for them. Let’s dive into some of the key findings.

Staffing Remains a Primary Concern

Given the hiring challenges of recent years, it’s no surprise that 94% of law enforcement leaders  expressed concern about staffing shortages.

The only way to perform more work with fewer resources is to boost efficiency. That means equipping officers with technology to help streamline manual tasks like reporting and data collection, which gives them more time to spend on complex tasks like strategy and planning.

Most departments already equip officers with mobile computing devices, including laptops, tablets, and 2-in-1 devices, as they play a critical role in enhancing communication, expanding access to mission-critical information, and allowing officers to file reports immediately following an incident. However, in the face of the current worker shortages, it’s more important than ever to ensure these devices have the right features for officers to achieve maximum productivity. 

Primarily, devices need the ability to stand up to the harsh environments officers face. This is especially important when departments are short-staffed — mobile devices must help officers boost efficiency, not hinder productivity.  From withstanding drops on the ground to operating during a rainstorm, departments should consider devices with a rugged, durable design.

Beyond their durability, more advanced device features can have a significant impact on officer productivity. Daylight viewable screens, for instance, ensure officers can still read the content on their screen while conducting a traffic stop in the direct sunlight. Similarly, an embedded barcode scanner helps streamline the process of checking driver’s licenses, minimizing the number of different devices an officer needs. With officers already working long shifts, and potentially having to work overtime due to staffing shortages, dual-swappable batteries are crucial to ensure the device lasts the full duration of the shift without needing a charge or requiring downtime. Embedded 5G connectivity also supports faster data speeds to more efficiently upload and download data. Similarly, 5G allows for more seamless video streaming so officers can watch drone footage of an incident before arriving at the scene, enhancing their situational awareness.    

Department Leaders Prioritize Technology to Enhance the Officer Experience

Dependable hardware with the right features can help officers access, record, and store data and maintain communication. However, integrating mobile devices with the right software supports greater productivity overall. In fact, when evaluating a technology partner, 83% of law enforcement leaders want seamless software integration. They also want technology that will streamline manual tasks, facilitate data-driven decision-making, enhance real-time communications, and support situational awareness.

Integrating durable devices with reliable software can have a positive impact on overall efficiency.  Take the example of reporting, which can consume a significant portion of an officer’s day. The ability to file reports from the vehicle via a laptop with high processor speeds lets officers record the incident while it’s still fresh in their memory. However, if officers are looking down at their keyboards and screens, they can’t monitor their surroundings. Laptops with speech-to-text software cut down on the time it takes to type reports and allow officers to keep eyes on their surroundings. Working with a partner to implement hardware and software specific to law enforcement needs will help create the best possible work experience for productivity.

Implementing the right software applications is just as important as deploying reliable devices, but department IT staff don’t always have time to stay up-to-date on the latest software applications available to officers. Engaging a trusted technology partner can help develop a tech stack that meets officer needs and drives greater efficiency on the job. A hardware provider that supports various software integrations and updates ensures a better end-user experience that allows officers access to the tools and information needed for increased productivity.   

Leaders Need Support Navigating Digital Transformation Challenges

Law enforcement leaders are prioritizing tech solutions that will help them overcome specific digital transformation barriers, particularly: budget constraints, inadequate IT resources, training and skills development challenges, and limited knowledge of new solutions. Plus, 74% of respondents to the Panasonic Connect survey see the value in staff augmentation services that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of internal IT staff.

Deploying devices that are designed specifically for law enforcement environments is an important first step toward digital transformation. When devices can stand up to the demands of the job, they are less likely to break and require expensive repairs or replacements. They can serve as a true partner officers can rely on out in the field. Likewise, prioritizing devices with a modular design can help simplify future upgrades, extend device longevity, and future-proof investments. For instance, a department may initially purchase devices with Smart Card readers for security authentication and decide to switch to fingerprint readers two years later. Instead of having to purchase a new fleet of devices after just two years, a modular device allows them to purchase just the Smart Card reader expansion packs and easily swap them into units.

When implementing new technology, departments need to ensure the solutions won’t complicate IT team workflows, especially amid the current global shortage of IT workers. Working with a tech partner that assists with deployment gives the existing IT personnel more time to focus on overall operations. This support is crucial when it comes to installing vehicle mounts and properly docking them in vehicles so officers can create an ergonomic mobile workstation that supports their productivity. Partners that go even further, offering as-needed IT staffing solutions, can serve as an extension of the organization’s IT staff and free them to spend more time on strategic initiatives. Aside from direct in-person IT support, some hardware vendors will also offer analytic platforms that monitor the health and utilization of mobile devices so IT teams can take preventative action to maintain an efficient fleet of devices at all times.  

Financial resources can be limited in the public sector, but the right tech partners will also offer funding options. Some will collaborate with public sector agencies to write grants and develop flexible pricing models to help alleviate these budget constraints and ensure departments can support officers with the latest technology while staying on budget.

Enhancing the Officer Experience With AI

Panasonic Connect’s survey found that limited knowledge of new solutions can stand in the way of achieving digital transformation goals. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a solid example of technology that has such strong potential to transform law enforcement workflows even though there may be limited awareness of its capabilities.

With its current capabilities, AI can best be used to analyze crime data, predict future incidents, and coordinate responses. Crime analytics is one of the most time-consuming workflows for police departments because officers must review both handwritten and digital files. AI helps synthesize the data to highlight hotspots and trends so law enforcement leadership can deploy resources strategically to prevent or enhance incident response success. 

In the future, AI will likely be deployed through connected vehicles to enhance situational awareness. AI software will monitor the status of vehicles to predict the need for repairs before they result in significant downtime and will help cars communicate with each other on the road, reducing the likelihood of collisions. For instance, if a stretch of road requires a driver to brake hard due to slippery conditions or a large pothole, the cars behind them will receive a signal to engage their automatic braking systems. When municipalities gain access to this type of AI-generated data, they will be able to prevent accidents through actions such as deploying salt trucks and plows to areas where drivers are skidding during a snowstorm.  

The need for more efficient workflows amid the worker shortage is driving some departments to implement AI solutions today that will support new AI workloads as they emerge. The first step is to ensure officers’ mobile devices are AI-enabled to support efficient use of current and future  AI applications. Agencies will also need to overcome barriers to adopting new technology and implement workflows to fully leverage the benefits of AI and other advanced technologies. Partnering with an experienced tech provider can speed current tech rollouts and guide a digital transformation strategy that includes support for future AI workflows.   

Leverage Technology to Ease Staffing Challenges

Mobile computing devices equipped with the latest software — including AI-powered solutions — can help officers stay efficient amid staffing challenges. By working with an experienced and reliable technology partner who can offer support with hardware and services, police departments can deploy the right solutions to support officer workflows, minimize the burden on IT staff, and future-proof their technology investments for years to come.