By Evan Keats, Former Spokesman and Director of Community Affairs, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office
Key Takeaways:
- Staffing and budget gaps demand smarter tools, not just harder work. With agencies operating below authorized staffing and facing shrinking budgets, strategic investment in the right technology is critical to maintaining performance and protecting personnel.
- Email is holding law enforcement back. Relying on crowded inboxes for time-sensitive intelligence, tasking, and coordination creates delays, miscommunication, and friction in an environment that demands real-time, reliable communication.
- Centralized, secure communication platforms help officers work smarter. By streamlining cross-agency messaging, improving transparency, and keeping everyone on the same page, tools should enhance coordination, morale, and ultimately public safety outcomes.
The irony of modern law enforcement is unmistakable. We have better technology than ever but fewer officers to use it and shrinking budgets to acquire it. Law enforcement agencies are witnessing a technological boom in the middle of a financial drought.
At the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference in Denver, October 2025, that contrast couldn’t have been clearer. Everywhere you looked, there were breakthroughs on display, including software, hardware, drones, analytics, even the early versions of real-life “Robocops.” The landscape for intelligence-led policing was dramatic, dynamic, and awe-inspiring.
The current industry-wide challenge was obvious as well: there are fewer officers than ever, and fewer dollars to support them.
Consider the Numbers:
- Manpower is dwindling – According to the IACP 2024 Recruitment & Retention Survey, law enforcement agencies are operating at ~ 91% of their authorized staffing levels.
- Budgets are tightening – Federal cuts and local gaps have stripped roughly $145 million from community violence intervention and public-safety programs, forcing agencies to stretch already-strained resources.
- Technology keeps evolving – Data platforms, digital evidence systems, and analytics tools can run hundreds of thousands of dollars per year once you factor in maintenance, licensing, and training. The global law enforcement market for tech is expected to reach $31 billion in the next 5 years – drawing on the compounding need for effective crime prevention and investigative tools.
The ‘job’ is evolving, and policing must evolve with it. But telling departments to “do more with less” without giving them the tools to do it is like asking a surgeon to perform a complex procedure with a butter knife.
Without strategic investment in the right technology, agencies risk burning out their people, slowing response, and eroding morale. Smart, targeted tools aren’t a luxury anymore—they’re the only way to meet rising expectations without breaking the system, and it starts with how we’re communicating.
Why Old Habits Die Hard
Even with millions invested and cutting-edge technology advancing, many agencies still rely on one of the oldest forms of business communications for tasking, projects, and real-time actionable intelligence: email.
For 30 years, we’ve perfected the art of creating and hoarding ‘digital’ clutter. Critical alerts, updates, and intelligence often get buried in crowded inboxes, causing delays, missed messages, and unnecessary friction. Knowing there’s a better way to share information is like being handed night-vision goggles but insisting on navigating by candlelight.
Here’s The Good News…
Even in the face of staffing shortages and tight budgets, there are technologies that can genuinely make officers’ lives easier and improve agency efficiency without draining resources. One example is Genasys’ Evertel platform, designed to streamline communication both internally and across agencies.
When Chief Jeff Halstead (retired Chief of Police in Fort Worth, TX) first envisioned it, the goal was simple: better communication makes better cops.
The idea isn’t flashy; it’s practical. Clear, fast, and reliable communication saves time, reduces errors, and helps officers focus on what matters most – keeping their communities safe!
Consider a multi-jurisdictional investigation involving multiple agencies, points of contact, and siloed information across different platforms. Without a centralized communication channel, information gets lost, duplicated, or delayed. With a tool like Evertel, agencies can bridge those gaps by sharing secure and compliant updates in real time so everyone stays on the same page.
The Takeaway Is Straightforward
Technology is only as valuable as the way it’s used. Investing in the right tools doesn’t just improve operations; it protects personnel, strengthens coordination, and enhances the ability to respond effectively when it matters most.
For agencies looking to improve communication and intelligence-sharing, it’s worth exploring solutions that help officers work smarter, not harder.
Contact Genasys to learn more about Genasys Protect and Evertel’s compliant and secure messaging tool. Schedule a demo today.
