The old scenario was familiar: A new policing technology platform was launched with great fanfare. It promised to revolutionize crime prevention by mapping hotspots, predicting incidents and streamlining patrols. Dashboards glowed, alerts pinged and leadership leaned into the promise of predictive insight.
But weeks turned into months and the results didn’t match the hype. Officers chased false leads, crime rates increased and community complaints rose.
With results falling short, media finger-pointing quickly followed and government scrutiny intensified.
Today it’s a different story.
Policing strategies – grounded in evidence
Effective police agencies aren’t just adopting new tech. They’re asking tougher questions, validating assumptions and carefully partnering to create the most impactful and ethical solutions.
Technology itself isn’t the problem and can be a powerful force for good – one that surfaces insights at speed, flags disparities and improves outcomes.
But let’s be honest here. Predictive analytics, such as those touted in the past, are more myth than method if we’re not rigorous with our data, committed to transparency and able to recognize limitations.
When policing strategies are grounded in evidence rather than expectation, they transform from a cautionary tale to the next level of modern and accountable law enforcement.
Trusted by agencies worldwide, proven on the ground
Evidence-based policing shifts the dynamic from intuitive assumptions to confident and accountable decision making. It’s not about chasing gadgets. It’s about harnessing data to solve real problems, improving decision-making and using data to build community trust.
As shared in our white paper, 5 strategies for modernizing evidence-based policing using data and AI-driven insights, law enforcement leaders around the globe are proving this approach works.
- Victoria police in Australia use SAS to integrate data from multiple sources, cutting investigative time from hours to minutes. “Police have vast amounts of information. This new system connects it, analyzes it and puts it at their fingertips so they can fight all types of crime much more quickly,” said Victorian Minister for Police, Lisa Neville.
- Calling it “Google for Cops,” Major William Crotty and the Delaware State Police use SAS to aggregate data to track down suspects faster, breathe new life into stalled investigations and equip rookie cops with the institutional knowledge of a seasoned veteran. According to Crotty, evidence-based policing has also created a powerful way to cultivate legitimacy and trust with the communities the police serve.
- In South Carolina, the Greenville Police Department prioritized cultural fit with their data transformation with SAS. They were keenly aware that no matter how powerful a system is, its success depends on support within law enforcement and the community. “Do we have the organizational structure, the staff and the technical depth to deploy this technology across our organization? Those are some of the most important questions you can ask before selecting a technology to support your evidence-based policing strategy,” said Lee Hunt, Strategic Planning and Analysis Administrator, Greenville Police Department.
From an East Asian country’s successful anti-money laundering efforts to the North Carolina Department of Insurance deploying AI-powered diagrams to tracking fraudsters, agencies are shifting from reactive to proactive policing models.
SAS law enforcement solutions are grounded in decades of experience across public safety agencies worldwide. We help agencies modernize not just their platforms but also their processes and people.
Credibility built on clarity
Most recruits don’t join law enforcement to be data analysts, and they shouldn’t have to be. Yet many frontline officers are stuck navigating siloed and outdated systems that slow investigations and drain resources.
Agencies invest heavily in gear like body cameras and vehicles but overlook real-time data tools. Meanwhile, bad actors exploit encrypted communications, blockchain technologies and AI-powered deception to carry out increasingly sophisticated attacks.
It's time to treat data not as a back-office function but as a frontline asset. Strategic use of structured data and transparent reporting clarifies facts, builds accountability and strengthens public trust, especially under scrutiny.
In crisis or calm, evidence-based policing equips your frontlines to be their best, with greater credibility and resilience.
