Top public safety and security officials must adjust swiftly and embrace flexibility, breaking away from the traditional method of extensive research and pilot programs. This transition may provide difficulties for larger, more tradition-bound administrations.
FREMONT, CA: If people thought campus police had undergone dramatic changes in recent years, they haven't seen anything yet. Policing has become the focal point of contemporary social and cultural changes. This turmoil has caused many to abandon the sector while those who remain struggle to adapt. Predicting the future of police is difficult due to the many factors at play. Workshops were held to gain thoughts, broaden perspectives, and prepare leaders for the changing policing scene over the next decade to manage these impacts.
Significant changes that are expected to be seen in campus policing and public safety
Hierarchies play a less important role: This requirement for creativity will necessitate a shift away from the habit of pushing new ideas up the chain of command, relying on narrowly focused experts with well-defined areas of responsibility, and keeping employees in their own lanes. Technological improvements, millennial expectations, and a rising knowledge gap between those in power and those on the "front lines" will all challenge organizational cultures, communications, and authority patterns to the test.
Top administrators require greater agility: Top public safety and security officials must adjust swiftly and embrace flexibility, breaking away from the traditional method of extensive research and pilot programs. This transition may provide difficulties for larger, more tradition-bound administrations.
A rise in civilization: Advancements in technology and dependence on specialists in rapidly changing areas of expertise may lessen the necessity for sworn personnel while boosting civilian specialists' support and decision-making roles. Sworn police will be required for on-site reaction, de-escalation, detention, and arrest. However, civilian personnel will increasingly undertake many jobs relating to criminal response, victim and suspect identification, and management using information and analytical technology.
Enhanced specialization: Because of the high reliance on technology, officers and civilian staff will need to specialize more, as well as develop ways to merge both. Policing will increasingly rely on specialist equipment such as drones, video surveillance, and artificial intelligence tools, moving away from the "Jack (and Jill) of all trades" officer approach. Protocols will also need to be created to capitalize on the predicted deluge of information in a more timely and targeted manner.
A greater focus on social skills: While technology proficiency is essential, human engagement and service will and must remain at the heart of the law enforcement mission. Changes in technology have impacted society's communications, resulting in recruits with fewer social skills. Social media's isolation of the youth may have harmed face-to-face and written communication skills, resilience, and conflict resolution abilities. To maintain efficient policing, agencies must provide personalized communication training to their officers.
