Guest Blogger: Bonnie Locke, Nlets Director of Business Development and Chair of the IACP LEIT Section. 

Today’s law enforcement professionals face unprecedented technological challenges, from cyber-attacks that compromise personal information, to the difficulty in monitoring active intelligence from social media.

Similar to officers on the street, law enforcement information technology professionals face a diverse set of issues depending on the size of the agency, location, budget, and existing infrastructure. While some agencies may be asking for guidance on how to create, deploy, and maintain a data warehouse, other agencies may be looking for guidance on how develop an in-house advanced video analytic system or how to conduct successful dark web investigations. The law enforcement community needs to address these problems together, keeping an open line of communication toward the goal of interoperability, unified standards, and the fusion of disparate information resources.

Although today’s public safety personnel rise to the challenge every day, they need the tools to keep up in an evolving landscape. It takes cutting edge information technology and policy guidance to ensure law enforcement is able to respond to real-time crime intelligence, communicate, and function efficiently. The 2018 IACP Technology Conference, May 21-23, in Providence, Rhode Island, provides criminal justice and public safety professionals an opportunity to share ideas that will help keep citizens and officers safe.

This three-day conference will cover a variety of emerging issues in technology including:

• Leveraging Blockchain in Criminal Investigations
• Highly Autonomous Vehicles- Is Law Enforcement Ready?
• Using Sensor-Based Technology to Improve Officer Safety
• Monitoring Social Media in Real Time with Free Tools

As well more familiar issues such as:

• NIBRS: How to Work with Vendors to Ensure a Seamless Transition
• How to Improve Communications using Mobile Apps
• Finding a Policy Framework to Use When Procuring New Technology
• Developing a Long-Term IT Vision

Today’s technology is changing so incredibly fast and it’s an integral part of what we do. I am excited to hear from leading practitioners that can talk about what is working in the field, generate thought provoking ideas, and help identify the solutions that agencies can adopt today or consider for the future. Every year, I meet law enforcement professionals and industry partners that are game changers. Whether you are a public safety technologist, analyst, manager, or executive – the IACP Technology Conference is a must. I hope you will join me this year and discover the possible.

Still determining how attending the Technology Conference will benefit your agency? Check out the Technology Conference justification kit. Visit http://www.theIACP.org/Tech-Conference for more information or to register.

See you in Providence!