Breaking Down Information Silos in Law Enforcement
In the world of law enforcement, information silos are a severe problem. Even with record management systems that link various departments, intelligence gaps exist. Moreover, some essential information regarding a case doesn't even make it to the record management systems. An intelligent communication platform is needed to support law enforcement officers from the street, across the hall, and between departments. Here's a look at why information silos are so detrimental to law enforcement efforts and what can be done to fix this issue.
What is an Information Silo?
Information silos present a significant and expensive problem to law enforcement globally.
Simply put, an information silo is when data or information is stored in one place and not easily accessible by other departments or organizations. Information silos are especially problematic for law enforcement since sometimes relevant data is stored in different departments or counties. For example, if one county has a suspect's alibi on file but the suspect was arrested in another county, that piece of evidence might not make its way into the record management system. As a result, officers may need to be made aware of relevant evidence that could help them solve their case or prevent future crimes from occurring.
The Consequences of Information Silos
Information silos have far-reaching consequences for law enforcement agencies because they limit access to crucial intel that could close cases faster and protect citizens from harm. Additionally, these silos lead to miscommunication among departments which can cause mistrust and breed problems within agencies instead of solutions. What's more, if multiple records management systems aren't linked, then officers may lack visibility into previous incidents involving suspects, which could hamper their ability to judge how best to handle any situation they face on patrol or while investigating a crime scene.
Breaking Down Information Silos
One obvious solution would be to link all records management systems together no matter the county they are located in; however, this would require significant funding and resources on behalf of local governments and law enforcement agencies which isn't feasible for many areas around the country right now due to budget constraints. A better solution might be using an intelligent communication platform powered by AI that can autonomously analyze data from multiple sources quickly and accurately through natural conversation, much like IMPaCT. Hence, officers have complete visibility into their cases and potential suspects before making any decisions in the field or back at headquarters.
No matter the solution for breaking down information silos within law enforcement agencies, one thing remains clear—intelligence lead policing needs intelligent platforms capable of supporting officers from the street, across the hall, and between departments. We want our police force to solve cases quickly and safely, protecting citizens from harm effectively. Without such platform solutions in place soon enough, though, we'll likely continue facing these same issues year after year without any real progress toward solving them—and that's something none of us can afford. Together we must strive toward a safer tomorrow for everyone involved with law enforcement today.
