Modern police technology is transforming every aspect of the profession from how evidence is collected and analyzed to how officers respond in the field. Advances in AI, automation, and digital data management are enabling smarter, faster, and more transparent policing.
But these changes aren’t just about adopting new tools. They represent a fundamental shift toward data-driven decision-making, where AI technology in the police force serves as an active partner in solving crime, improving accountability, and protecting communities.
According to a 2025 report, 90% of law-enforcement professionals in the U.S. support their agencies using AI; 89% believe leveraging AI would help reduce crime; and 65% say it would make them more productive and efficient. And a 2024 survey found that 61% of law-enforcement professionals view AI as a “powerful tool” for improving the efficiency and accuracy of investigations.
As law enforcement leaders face unprecedented challenges, from staffing shortages to surging data volumes, embracing new police technology isn’t optional. It’s essential to maintaining effectiveness and trust in a digital-first world. And it seems first responders are getting onboard with AI.
The evolution of police technology
Just a generation ago, police technology equipment consisted of radios, dash cameras, and fingerprint kits. Today, those tools have expanded to include:
- Body-worn cameras and automatic license plate readers (ALPRs).
- Digital evidence management platforms.
- AI-driven transcription, facial recognition, and redaction tools.
- Drones, robotics, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
- Cloud-based case management systems.
- Real-time crime centers integrating multiple data streams.
Each of these new technologies generates vast amounts of digital evidence, evidence that must be stored, searched, and shared securely. This evolution has created enormous potential but also immense complexity for agencies.
From equipment to ecosystems
The biggest trend in law enforcement technology isn’t a single device or application. It’s the shift toward connected ecosystems.
In many departments, digital systems still operate in silos: body-worn camera footage lives in one database, dispatch logs in another, and surveillance video somewhere else entirely. This fragmentation makes it difficult for investigators to connect the dots across data types and cases.
For digital-evidence tools in investigations: 69% of professionals said they “do not have enough time to review all the data in their cases,” underscoring the scale of the backlog that AI aims to address.
That’s why leading agencies are moving toward integrated law enforcement tech ecosystems that unify evidence, communication, and analytics under a single digital roof. When systems can “talk” to one another, automatically linking data from multiple sources, investigators gain a complete, real-time view of an incident or suspect.
The rise of AI-powered policing
AI is rapidly becoming the cornerstone of new law enforcement technology. Rather than simply collecting data, AI can help agencies make sense of it, surfacing patterns, generating leads, and automating time-consuming manual tasks.
AI-driven capabilities include:
- Automated transcription and translation of interviews, calls, and audio evidence.
- Facial and object recognition for identifying persons or vehicles of interest.
- Automated redaction to protect privacy during evidence disclosure.
- Predictive analytics to forecast hotspots or identify emerging threats.
- Cross-case search and correlation to link related incidents faster.
The result is a faster, more efficient investigative process, one that allows officers to focus on decision-making rather than data wrangling.
Why Centralized Data Is the Foundation of Modern Police Tech
To get the most from AI and analytics, agencies must first centralize their evidence and information systems. Without a unified data backbone, even the best new technology in the police force operates in isolation.
By consolidating digital evidence from across departments, agencies can:
- Run multiple AI tools simultaneously, from redaction to tracking and transcription.
- Enable real-time collaboration between investigators, analysts, and prosecutors.
- Reduce data duplication and eliminate the risk of lost or untagged evidence.
- Increase transparency and compliance with robust chain-of-custody tracking.
A connected platform like Veritone Investigate, the foundation of Veritone iDEMS—a suite of AI-powered investigative applications—allows agencies to integrate all forms of digital evidence, audio, video, images, and documents. and apply AI workflows that streamline discovery, analysis, and sharing. This centralized approach turns disconnected data into a powerful operational advantage.
Building a smarter, more efficient police force
As agencies continue to evolve, the goal isn’t just to adopt new police technology, it’s to use it intelligently. Smart deployment, backed by clear data strategies and AI-driven automation, helps officers do more with less.
Facing nationwide staffing shortages, many departments are already leveraging technology to fill the gaps. Tools that once took hours of manual review now complete in minutes, allowing limited staff to focus on critical tasks such as violent crime investigations and community safety.
In this environment, the agencies that thrive will be those that combine human expertise with technological efficiency, using AI not as a replacement, but as a force multiplier.
Looking ahead
The pace of change in law enforcement technology is only accelerating. From AI-driven analytics to cloud-native evidence systems, modern police tech is redefining what’s possible in the field and the investigation room alike.
In our next post, we’ll examine how AI is transforming every corner of the criminal justice system—from predictive policing to digital evidence analysis.
About Veritone iDEMS
Veritone iDEMS, underpinned by Veritone Investigate, empowers law enforcement with a suite of solutions for modern investigations. By combining digital evidence management, automated redaction, eDiscovery, and more, it helps agencies solve cases faster, strengthen collaboration, and ensure transparency at every step.
Discover how Veritone iDEMS is redefining modern police technology.
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