KEY IDEAS:
- Law enforcement software refers to specific programs and applications designed to help police personnel manage cases, store data, conduct investigations, and respond to emergencies.
- Police software increases accuracy, efficiency, data security, and data sharing capabilities.
- Data integration enhances law enforcement software by unifying previously siloed systems, allowing personnel to make full use of their fragmented data.
The law enforcement space is saturated with software solutions that claim to bring agencies’ operations into the 21st century. The most effective law enforcement software solutions help agencies gather, manage, and action reliable data, both internally and externally. When these solutions work together smoothly, agencies benefit from faster investigations, streamlined data sharing, and enhanced analytics.
Keep reading to learn about the top types of police software, including their benefits and implementation strategies.
What is law enforcement software?
Law enforcement software refers to computer programs and applications that support workflows for public safety personnel. For example, detectives might leverage law enforcement investigation software such as license plate recognition (LPR), digital evidence management, and case management systems. Tailored solutions — like computer-aided dispatch software, mapping programs, and records management systems (RMS) — can alleviate pain points across an entire agency.
💡 HOW IS LAW ENFORCEMENT SOFTWARE DIFFERENT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY?
“Law enforcement technology” is a broad term that refers to general public safety solutions, including hardware such as cameras, radios, and mobile data terminals. “Software” is more specific: It refers to computer programs and applications, which often work in conjunction with hardware.
What are the benefits of law enforcement software for police agencies?
Each type of law enforcement software serves a specific purpose, but all solutions share a common goal: making agencies safer, more effective, and more secure. Effective software reduces time-consuming manual tasks, acting as a force multiplier for resource-strapped agencies. It reduces guesswork by providing reliable data that can be visualized, shared, and actioned immediately. Explore the most significant benefits below.
🔎 AT A GLANCE: How does law enforcement software improve police operations and investigations?
- Streamlines dispatch, investigations, and police operations
- Reduces time spent manually tracking down information, doing paperwork, and creating reports
- Improves data quality, resulting in enhanced analytics and more accurate trend prediction
- Allows seamless and secure data sharing
Expedite important tasks
Centralized databases, user-friendly mobile apps, and automation free up time for more impactful work. For example, effective software reduces the amount of time spent doing paperwork, logging evidence, locating physical files, and manually writing and creating reports. Dispatch software streamlines emergency communications, lowering response times.
Improve data quality
Sophisticated software solutions gather, process, and catalog useful information, turning even unstructured data into meaningful evidence that bolsters investigations, emergency response, and crime reporting.
Consider a scenario where officers are searching for a suspect who fled a crime scene in their vehicle. They might only get a partial plate number from a witness. But an LPR system helps investigators turn that vague information into a solid lead. They can search for that partial plate, along with a vehicle description, to find the full license plate number. The search might also reveal the vehicle’s history and ownership, allowing officers to identify a potential suspect.
Democratize technology
Good software isn’t just for crime analysts. The best solutions benefit all aspects of policing and improve communication between departments. Take RMS for example: With this software, dispatchers can quickly see and communicate historical data, field officers can search and enter new records on the go, and command staff can securely share records with partner agencies.
READ MORE → A Cultural Shift: Interoperability and Digital Resilience in Police Tech
Enhance analytics
When agencies have better data — and more of it — they’re able to draw more meaningful connections. For example, extensive data on calls for service, officer workloads, and response times provide enough insights for department leaders to conduct their own comprehensive staffing analyses, design data-informed shift schedules, and even advocate for more funding.
Track trends
Leaders need reliable trend data to allocate their resources appropriately. For example, with mapping and data visualization software, analysts might identify a string of overdose deaths in a specific location, indicating the need for more services in that area. Some real-time software solutions track officers’ use of force, which removes guesswork on personnel performance, leads to more transparent reporting, and reduces negative interactions.
Streamline data sharing
Effective police software promotes collaboration and efficiency through secure data sharing. Faster data sharing reduces lag time in investigations, increases officer safety through real-time alerts, and creates a common operating picture in emergency response scenarios.
READ MORE → Interagency Data Sharing: Overcoming Barriers To Drive Collaboration
Keep data secure
Law enforcement agencies must protect the sensitive data they collect. CJIS-compliant software companies help safeguard data through encryption, granular access controls, and robust defenses against cyberattacks.
💡 HOW DO CYBERSECURITY MEASURES PROTECT LAW ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS?
Police software uses multi-factor authentication, encryption, and network monitoring to comply with strict CJIS standards. CJIS-compliant data integration solutions, including Peregrine, enhance data security and privacy through secure cloud storage, fine-grained permission controls, location-based restrictions, and granular audit trails.
What are the main types of law enforcement software?
Law enforcement agencies rely on specialized solutions to assist with every aspect of policing. While each agency builds out its tech stack based on budget and departmental needs, most agencies rely on the following types of police software.
🔎 AT A GLANCE: What are the most common types of law enforcement software?
- CAD and RMS systems
- License plate recognition software
- Digital evidence management systems
- Geographic information systems
- RFID software
National incident-based reporting system (NIBRS) software
The Federal Bureau of Investigations launched NIBRS to improve the quality of crime data. All U.S. law enforcement agencies must report incidents to NIBRS. They can pull this data from their RMS if it meets reporting guidelines. NIBRS categorizes offenses into two types: Group A and Group B. Group A offenses include:
- Arson
- Assault
- Burglary
- Fraud
- Homicide
- Kidnapping
- Theft
Group B offenses include bad checks, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, and trespassing. These incidents must have an arrest to be reported.
Computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software
CAD software streamlines communication between dispatch, first responders, and field officers. It helps triage incoming calls for service, direct resources, and send relevant information to an officer’s mobile data terminal. CAD systems also gather data about incidents, starting with emergency call recordings, to streamline investigations and reporting.
Records management systems (RMS)
An RMS provides a central location to store, examine, view, and manipulate all of an agency’s records. This includes anything related to law enforcement activities, such as incident reports, arrests, warrants, case management files, and field contacts. RMS software tags and categorizes these records so personnel can search them later on. Many agencies use their RMS solutions for NIBRS.
Digital evidence management systems (DEMS)
Agencies rely on DEMS to collect, store, and process digital evidence, such as camera footage, recordings, images, documents, and social media content. DEMS solutions often include cameras, software, and a mobile app that allows field officers to enter, tag, and review evidence on the scene.
License plate recognition (LPR) software
LPR systems include three components: a camera that captures photos of passing vehicles, software that deciphers those license plates, and a database that stores photo and vehicle information. The system runs the plates against connected databases, such as warrant or arrest databases, and flags any hits. Automated systems can read thousands of license plates per hour, making LPRs powerful law enforcement investigation software solutions.
Geographic information systems (GIS)
GIS solutions enable law enforcement agencies to digitally visualize crime incidents on a map. Effective GIS mapping helps agencies understand criminal activity, track crime trends, and allocate resources to high-need areas. Crime mapping also helps investigators identify leads and focus their efforts.
Radiofrequency identification (RFID) software
RFID solutions include a tag, reader, and database to store tag and reader information. Agencies use RFID technology to track their assets, including officers and vehicles, as well as evidence management. RFID systems reduce hours spent doing manual inventory, prevent evidence loss, and send alerts when evidence is moved from its location.
💡 HOW DOES PEREGRINE ENHANCE LAW ENFORCEMENT SOFTWARE?
Peregrine, a data integration and analytics solution, unifies an agency’s existing tech stack. Peregrine ingests data from law enforcement agencies’ software solutions — including CAD and RMS data, LPR data, and GIS data — alongside legacy solutions and external databases. Peregrine then delivers rich, contextualized insights in user-friendly dashboards.
How to choose law enforcement software that integrates with existing systems
Not all software solutions work together, and investing in incompatible technology is only going to create more inefficiencies within your department. When shopping for new solutions, look for law enforcement software companies that prioritize interoperability, open APIs, and clear data ownership policies.
These principles ensure seamless data sharing between different systems, allowing your agency to fully view, manipulate, and action all of your data in context. This also means your agency — not the vendor — will have ownership of your data.
💡 READ MORE → Open and Interoperable: Advocating for Better Data Stewardship
How data integration uplevels law enforcement software
Advanced police software has changed the game for modern law enforcement agencies by speeding up investigations, reducing guesswork, and collecting valuable data. But these solutions are even more impactful when they work in harmony. Data integration makes that possible.
Peregrine is a vendor-agnostic data integration platform that ingests, cleans, and harmonizes data from nearly any law enforcement software. With granular user controls, personnel across an entire department can find, visualize, and action the data they need. To learn how Peregrine can supercharge your existing solutions, contact our team.
Your Privacy Choices