Policing is, undoubtedly, a people-focused occupation. Community policing, which centers police-constituent relations to build trust and collaboration, has been proven to improve outcomes and increase public safety.

However, we’re also living in a difficult time for law enforcement recruitment. In 2020, cities were forced to make across-the-board budget cuts driven by the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly half of agencies across the country reported that funding had been reduced in 2020.

Even when there is budget for hiring, there is often a lack of applicants, leading to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) calling recruiting a “crisis for law enforcement.” Agencies have record numbers of open roles, driven by low police morale and fear of pursuing a job that carries as heavy a weight as policing does right now.

Simply put, the ratio of law enforcement officers to people they protect is simply not sufficient. That’s where technology comes in, aiming to augment human resources, filling in the gaps in patrolling, investigation, and watchfulness, and being the 24/7 eyes and ears that officers need to sustain public safety.

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Anderson Police Department: Powering Policing Through Technology

Anderson Police Department oversees a jurisdiction of about 27,000 residents with just over 100 sworn officers. The diverse and friendly South Carolina town has its own college, Anderson University, and is also a short drive to Clemson University.

In 2020, Anderson PD installed Flock Safety cameras to augment their police personnel. The ALPR technology helps officers and detectives collect objective investigative evidence, receive notifications when wanted suspects enter Anderson, and feel confident there are eyes on the ground even when officers cannot be everywhere all the time.

“I might be I my bed asleep, but Flock is still out there taking pictures,” said Corporal Cody Barrow.

Cpl. Barrow describes one case where Flock was able to narrow down a vague description of a car to just a few vehicles that officers could then investigate. Without the Flock technology, he explains, “the case would have gone nowhere.”

Lieutenant Carla Roberson tells of another case where a homicide in Anderson was committed by individuals coming in from another county. By providing a description of the vehicle and entering the details into the Flock ALPR system, detectives were able to quickly identify a license plate and find the suspects. This cross-agency collaboration turned a manual process that could have taken hours — even days — into minutes.

“Personnel is by far our great product — the people that work here. If we don’t have great people here, we’re not going to have a great police department,” said Anderson Police Chief Jim Stewart.

“But technology has furthered us more than anything here in Anderson.”

Learn about Flock Safety’s force multiplying solutions for your agency today.

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