The key word in public safety for 2025 is ‘modernisation.’ With massive amounts of data to deal with and staffing issues always looming, the traditionally conservative public safety sector is finally moving toward automation and digitalisation to keep up and improve.
With that in mind, here are eight trends expected in the public safety industry in 2025:
Broadband expansion
As the deluge of data continues to increase, broadband expansion is necessary to push more and more capabilities to the field and support next-generation networks.
The public increasingly communicates through text and email, while IoT devices and sensor data require multi-media access. Officers and other first responders need mobile access to field reports, citations, accident reports and diagrams, not to mention maps, photos and videos for situational awareness. With more and more data to process - plus the need to connect with mobile communications devices and drones in the field - broadband access will be crucial for public safety operations going forward.
More with AI
The trend of doing more with fewer resources has been a recurring one in recent years, and 2025 will be no different. With budgets always squeezed and staffing shortages a continued challenge, public safety answering points in particular will be looking to automate workflows and get more with less, using assistive and generative artificial intelligence.
Today’s assistive AI tools can sift through the deluge of data and spot trends and anomalies, generating alerts for overworked dispatchers. AI can also help answer non-emergency calls and direct them to the proper resources. This frees up valuable human resources for the most important task – emergency response.
Tools for transparency
Public trust has been a top concern for public safety officials, and there are technologies available to help maintain the transparency the people want. Dash and bodycams for officers and their vehicles help maintain accountability for police in the field, and protect both officers and suspects by documenting interactions.
Citizen engagement portals not only enhance the connections between police forces and the public, but also free up busy call-takers. Citizens can file police reports, provide anonymous tips, request city services and search for incidents in a map portal.
So long, siloes
Communication is always a major issue in multi-agency operations. In most cases, separate agencies have their own communication systems and protocols, making it difficult to collaborate effectively. Cloud-based collaboration portals can be the solution to breaking down these siloes of information and communication.
The lead agency need only send an e-mail invitation, and every participating agency can instantly be on the same interface, sharing needed information, maps, video feeds, sensor data and AI alerts.
What’s more, these tools are mobile, allowing first responders in the field to see the same common operating picture as those in the command center.
More mayhem
There’s no argument in the public safety community that emergency incidents - whether they be natural disasters or man-made mayhem - are increasing in frequency, with climate change, populations and global tensions on the rise.
Many agencies are beginning to employ real-time intelligence centers, or real-time crime centers. That is, technological operations centers that take full advantage of automation to harness data from emergency calls, drones, sensors, surveillance cameras and more.
With help from automated workflows and assistive AI, the massive influx of data becomes an investigative positive instead of an overwhelming hindrance.
Cybersecurity threats
There has been a significant increase in cyberattacks, with cybercrime among the top five issues addressed by the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation. In the UK alone, it’s estimated that businesses dealt with nearly 8 million cybercrimes in some form in 2023-24.
To thwart this threat, public safety software solutions offered today are more robust, offering better defenses, monitoring and alert frameworks. Both on-premises systems and those in the cloud need stronger access control, auditing and accountability features, incident response, physical security and encryption, built to ISO and CJIS standards.
Cloud adoption
After years of hesitancy, public safety agencies are now cautiously moving their systems into the cloud. Not only do cloud-based systems help control costs, but they also improve security, since most cloud providers employ the most thorough cybersecurity protocols available.
Cloud-based systems also allow for mobility and redundancy. Mobile command centers can be as fully functional as a brick-and-mortar command center.
Interoperability
With increasing numbers of off-the-shelf apps available to public safety agencies (for instance, digital fire alerts, ambulance move-up assistance, gunshot detection and so on), computer-aided dispatch systems must be flexible enough to provide seamless interoperability.
An already busy dispatcher doesn’t need to be opening multiple apps during an emergency. A well-built CAD system can provide a single pane of glass for operators to use, allowing them to maintain focus and have the resources they need at their fingertips.
The trends highlighted for 2025, such as broadband expansion, AI-driven efficiency, transparency tools and cloud adoption, underscore the sector’s commitment to enhancing operational capabilities and public trust.
By leveraging these advancements, public safety professionals can better manage the increasing data influx, improve inter-agency communication, and address the growing complexity of emergency incidents. Ultimately, these innovations aim to ensure a more responsive, transparent, and resilient public safety infrastructure.
Steve Marz is vice president for technology and innovation at Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial division.
