In the third and final part of this Policing TV series, Deputy Chief Brendan Hooke of Fairfax County Police Department looks ahead to the future of policing and the growing role of technology. From real-time crime centres, drones and licence plate readers to body-worn cameras, cybersecurity and AI, Brendan explains why technology represents both one of policing’s greatest opportunities and one of its biggest risks.
The discussion also explores governance, privacy, resilience and the danger of becoming too dependent on automated systems. Brendan explains why officers still need strong core skills even as AI begins to assist with report writing, case analysis and investigative work. He also looks ahead to the next generation of policing technology, including AI tools that could proactively identify links in jail calls, highlight gaps in case files and flag inconsistencies during interviews.
Key takeaways
- Technology is both one of policing’s biggest future opportunities and one of its biggest risks.
- Fairfax uses a wide technology stack including licence plate readers, drones, body cameras and real-time analytics.
- Brendan says strong governance and cybersecurity must develop alongside new policing technology.
- Transparency around data sharing, retention and surveillance is increasingly important for maintaining public trust.
- Police forces still need traditional skills and contingency plans in case technology suddenly becomes unavailable.
- AI-assisted report writing can improve quality, but officers must first understand how to write strong reports themselves.
- New AI tools could analyse case files, jail calls and interviews to highlight links, gaps and inconsistencies.
- Even advanced AI still depends on accurate human data entry and sound investigative judgement.
Chapters
00:33 – What does the future of policing look like?
01:19 – Building a modern police technology stack
02:30 – Why governance and cybersecurity matter
03:41 – Privacy, surveillance and public trust
06:23 – Are police becoming too dependent on tech?
07:10 – Why humans still need to check AI
09:29 – The technology Fairfax values most
10:10 – The next generation of AI investigations
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