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Community policing is a widely-adopted model put into practice for nearly 40 years. The concept stemmed from a desire to address community concerns about rising crime rates through increased citizen involvement. To strengthen relationships with their constituents and improve their own reputations, police officers asked for assistance in solving and preventing crimes in the area. Recent advancements in technology are altering the ways in which law enforcement agencies can incorporate community policing into their operations. By providing an easier and more efficient way for people to report crime and share information, social networks like Facebook and Twitter significantly impact how well police connect with people. Software for mobile devices facilitates and eases communication both internal and external to a department. Officers who master these digital tools may increase the effectiveness of community policing in their jurisdictions.

When first responders arrive on a fire scene, they face the unknown. From outside the structure, it is often difficult to predict the situation inside. Because this uncertainty impacts decisions about where to concentrate resources and how to approach and enter the scene, firefighters must prepare for a host of scenarios that can put them in harm's way. Under these circumstances, having more information can lead to a safer environment for firefighters and increase response efficiency. Technology can help responders become better informed as they approach a fire scene and increase the effectiveness of their initial entry. One way that firefighters now obtain this information is through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones. These devices extend the reach of firefighters by flying over a variety of hazardous scenes-including those with limited accessibility or excessive risk to humans-and providing valuable information to the responders below.

Car accidents and fires are obvious situations that may require a call to 911. For the most part, doing so does not increase risk for the caller. However, in cases of domestic abuse or abduction, calling 911 can put the victim in grave danger. In these situations, new technology that allows people to silently text to 911 can be life-saving. The National 911 Office is driving the planning and adoption of the text-to-911 service to make communicating with emergency services more dynamic. This begins the process of increasing accessibility and a push for public safety answering points (PSAP) to begin Next Generation 911 (NG911) implementation. Text-to-911 is an interim step between current systems used in PSAPs and NG911 implementation. While there is a national push to upgrade, it is a lengthy and expensive process that will initially limit the availability of the service.

Last month, a group of retired senior-ranking officers argued before a packed audience at the Capitol Hill Club that despite the near certainty of shrinking military budgets, there are ways to trim the Defense Department's spending without leaving the armed forces less-than-ready for combat. Their plan, they contend, could reduce the overall size of the military while actually increasing its combat power. And in doing so, it will support Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's call to revamp the military so that it remains sufficiently strong "under a cloud of budget restraints and uncertainty."

In recent decades, the nation's prisons have become packed with inmates who suffer from a diagnosed mental illness. As policymakers try to reverse that trend, they're looking at an array of different options, and here in Massachusetts, that's led to increased training on how police officers should interact with mentally ill individuals.

In the aftermath following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, federal agencies and law enforcement drove home the need for increased information sharing and improved performance throughout the intelligence community. The information failures that plagued the system previous to the attacks demonstrated the consequences of division during a crisis. Had well-run fusion centers been available at the start of this century, the deadliest terrorist attack in history would have resulted in a different outcome.

Police, sheriffs and other law enforcement departments around Minnesota are seeking to shore up their ranks in preparation for a possible large-scale exodus of older, experienced veterans next spring when pension changes could result in a wave of early retirements. Out of about 10,500 peace officers in the state, an estimated 10 percent could be eligible to retire early by May 31, 2014, after which pension reductions will increase for those who retire before they turn 55.

From depleted resources to toppling buildings, natural disasters can wreak havoc on communities. Some areas are more prone to particular weather-such as tornadoes, hurricanes or blizzards-while other regions see little need to plan for such catastrophes. When extreme weather impacts cities with large, unprepared populations, the opportunity for devastation increases. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the city spent years addressing the damage brought about by the disaster. Almost 10 years later, New Orleans is still recovering. To prevent other cities from suffering the same fate, several organizations have banded together to emphasize the importance of citywide resilience.

Each year, public safety professionals learn more about the complexities of firefighting. Technology has advanced with that knowledge, allowing first responders to capture critical data and use it to inform future calls. Faced with budgetary and personnel shortages that hamper management of that data, however, fire departments stand to benefit from adoption of cloud-based solutions. Taking on the burden of hardware and software maintenance, Software as a Service (SaaS) greatly mitigates the technical overhead for a firehouse. Cloud computing improves performance, increases access to important information, and lowers the total cost of ownership for software. For fire departments, that efficiency translates into more effective emergency response.

Driven by shrinking public coffers, state and local governments face a growing number of challenges. Law enforcement organizations are particularly at risk due to legacy technologies that compound costs through implementation expenses, maintenance fees, software upgrades and hardware purchases. More and more, this hidden price is motivating law enforcement departments to try cloud computing-Software as a Service (SaaS), in particular-to bring down costs and increase flexibility. To gain those benefits, however, departments must be able to overcome new issues involving information security, data management, and protecting confidentiality.

Over the past few months, numerous media outlets propagated the image of U.S. law enforcement officers in military-grade armor, inferring a formidable police presence and sparking national debate. Many departments cite the increasing sophistication of weapons and threats of terrorism as motivation to strengthen their resources. While U.S. lawmakers and local police departments evaluate the efficacy and appropriateness of police militarization, researchers are looking for ways to improve the communication and judgment of officers who face stressful encounters with potentially lethal threats. - See more at: http://www.envisagenow.com/clear-communication-has-more-impact-than-military-equipment/#sthash.hJkyCIaU.dpuf

Prior to a disaster, public safety officials try to equip residents with the proper information and resources to survive catastrophe. Some communities are cultivating a volunteer-driven response by training citizens how to act during an emergency. These initiatives-such as the Citizen Preparedness Corps in New York, Operation Rescue Ready in Virginia and FEMA's Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)-are intended to help communities withstand the interim between disaster and the arrival of first responders.

Over the past two years, people adopted smart technology with increasing frequency. According to the Pew Research Center, half of American adults today own a tablet or e-reader. First responders are among the professional groups who have found ways to integrate these devices into their day-to-day operations. As tablets, smartphones and other mobile devices enter the public safety scene, however, agents must not only familiarize themselves with their use, but also understand their benefits and drawbacks.

Law enforcement agencies depend on new technology to help them ensure public safety. One such innovation is virtual firearms training, a practice facility that replaces traditional guns with digital ones. Several agencies across the U.S. are exploring use of virtual firearms training to save costs, increase efficiency and flexibility, and dramatically lower the risks to officers.

Law enforcement agencies across the U.S. are still experiencing the effects of a recovering economy. Lowered state funding continues to slash local budgets, compelling many departments to lay off officers. Agencies are faced with the choice to have their remaining officers focus on law enforcement or administrative duties, the former being the priority. As a result, they may look to engage people who are not sworn officers to complete critical administrative tasks. The concept of civilianization is not a new one, but the shift toward civilianization that occurred near the end of the 20th century was substantial. In 1965, the ratio of sworn officers to civilians employed by law enforcement agencies was 8.3:1, and in 1995 the ratio was 2.6:1. In general, civilians have been employed to a greater extent in large metropolitan police departments than small departments. They are employed more in the west than the east, and also are employed in greater proportions in city and county departments than in state agencies. Increasing civilian employment in law enforcement may help organizations address the diminished number of sworn officers. Civilianization of police departments offers many advantages and disadvantages for organizations that should be reviewed before making this transition.