兰德-Using-Future-Broadband-Communications-Technologies-to-Strengthen-Law-Enforcement_24页_759kb

报告摘要

PRIORITY Criminal Justice NEEDS INITIATIVE: Summary

Core Content

The Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative (PCJNI), led by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), convened an expert panel to explore how future broadband communications technologies could enhance law enforcement capabilities over the next 10 to 15 years. The initiative involved the RAND Corporation, the Police Executive Research Forum, RTI International, and the University of Denver, bringing together 41 experts from law enforcement, technology, academia, and federal agencies.

The workshop focused on emerging broadband networks and their potential to transform information sharing and operational efficiency in law enforcement. It identified 68 needs, which were categorized into eight technology areas, with the top 10 needs summarizing the most pressing requirements for law enforcement in the broadband era.

Main Themes

The workshop highlighted two major themes:

Supporting a Future Broadband Network: Enabling seamless, secure, and interoperable communication across various technologies and locations.
Managing Information Overload: Developing tools and methods to filter, prioritize, and effectively use the vast amounts of data that future networks will transmit.

Top Ten Needs for Law Enforcement Broadband Communications

Provide agencies with guidance on acquiring, managing, and using mixtures of communications networks.
Research smart software agents for officers to help them get needed information while avoiding overload.
Explore tethered UASs for rural and other areas with limited communications infrastructure.
Develop roles for data management specialists handling video and other high-volume law enforcement data.
Create new models for device authentication, similar to DNS in computing.
Develop processes for PSAP employees to prioritize and use data effectively.
Improve user authentication to ensure security while allowing access from other agencies.
Establish concepts, policies, and procedures for mutual aid networks.
Research tools for managing hybrid networks (wired, commercial broadband, FirstNet, etc.).
Solve federated identity management to enable authentication across different networks.

Key Information

Current Law Enforcement Communications: Mobile data computers and voice communications have been central to law enforcement for 25 years. However, the need for data-centric operations is growing rapidly.
Future Data Needs: The network must handle video, biometric, and health telemetry data, as well as real-time tracking and situational awareness for officers.
Emerging Technologies: The workshop considered FirstNet, 5G, datacasting, UAS relays, satellite communications, tropospheric scatter, mobile ad-hoc networks, personal area networks, freespace optical, and software-defined radios/networks.
Methodology: Panelists were divided into breakout groups to discuss physical, network, presentation layers, and operational considerations. They were asked to identify problems, opportunities, and solutions for each layer.
Prioritization: Needs were classified into Tier 1 (high priority), Tier 2 (medium priority), and Tier 3 (lowest priority) based on expected value, combining technical feasibility, operational feasibility, and potential impact.

Previously Identified Needs

Prior studies under the PCJNI highlighted several information and communications needs, including:

Field Communications: Tracking officers' location and status during incidents.
Tailored Information Displays: Providing situational awareness and common operational pictures.
Sensor Data: Including real-time video, biometric identification, and health monitoring.
General Infrastructure: Improving overall communications infrastructure, lowering costs, and ensuring interoperability.

These needs place significant demands on future broadband networks and were used as a basis for the workshop discussions.

Conclusion

The workshop aimed to inform science and technology development, practitioners, and federal funders about the future of law enforcement communications. The results emphasize the need for guidance, interoperability, information prioritization, and security in the context of a broadband-enabled environment. The initiative also underscores the importance of policy, governance, and acquisition models in shaping the adoption and integration of new technologies.