Mark43 Survey Shows Strong Support for AI in Public Safety
A new Mark43 report shows first responders and law enforcement increasingly support AI tools, but emphasize the need for human oversight, stronger cybersecurity, and interoperable systems to reduce administrative burden and improve response.
Mark43, the leading cloud-native public safety operations platform, today announced the results of a national survey of U.S. first responders and law enforcement, along with complementary perspectives gathered from policing professionals across the United Kingdom.
The new research reveals overwhelming support for AI with human oversight; rising stress around internal threats; a clear opportunity to leverage data and modern technology to drive efficiency, improve work experiences, and secure critical grant funding; and the importance of consolidation of the tech stack to enable interoperability, data sharing, and faster response. The new Mark43 2026 Public Safety Trends Report released today documents the complete results and charts the best path forward for leading agencies.
“Public safety is at a pivotal moment. Agencies are navigating real challenges — from staffing shortages to outdated systems that limit efficiency, collaboration, and morale,” said Bob Hughes, CEO of Mark43. “Modernization is about empowering people, connecting operations, and strengthening communities. Innovations like cloud-native, AI-enabled platforms, strong cybersecurity, and user-centered design are helping agencies build a stronger foundation for the next generation of public safety.”
Here are five public safety trends the Mark43 2026 Public Safety Trends Report has uncovered.
Trend 1. AI in public safety is a reality, and forward-looking agencies need to ensure that it remains intentional, human-centered.
- 92% of U.S. law enforcement believe AI is transforming public safety for the better, a 5% increase since last year. UK police view AI as a key transformation driver in frontline policing as well; 43% said AI will be the biggest reform driver on policing by 2026.
- The vast majority (93%) of U.S. first responders said they would support their agency’s use of AI to improve operations, and 79% of law enforcement believe that human oversight of AI is essential.
- Trust in the human element of AI continues to grow, with 93% of law enforcement professionals surveyed saying they trust their peers and agency leaders to use AI responsibly. That’s up a noteworthy 5% compared to last year.
- Many first responders are actively using AI to automate administrative tasks (51%), support real-time video surveillance and facial recognition efforts (49%), and for training and simulation purposes (47%). These use cases demonstrate that AI in public safety is here to stay and is expected to accelerate.
- Sixty-nine percent of first responders rely on external technology partners for AI tools, with report summarization (46%) emerging as a top use case.
Trend 2. Cybersecurity must be a defining factor when evaluating and modernizing technology.
- A strong majority (89%) of first responders said they are concerned with internal cyber threats at their organizations, with two-thirds (66%) fearing that some RMS users view data unnecessary for their role.
- An even greater share (95%) of law enforcement disclosed they believe their existing systems to protect against cyber threats would benefit from a technology upgrade.
- Nearly as many (90%) admitted their organization has experienced a cyber issue in the last year, up from 84%. Scam calls, malware/viruses, and identity theft were cited as the top three cyber issues, with total issues increasing 5 percentage points year over year.
- Given these challenges and concerns, it is not surprising that a near-total majority (98%) of first responders see cybersecurity as a critical part of evaluating whether to procure new public safety technology.
- Yet only 10% of UK respondents ranked strengthening resilience and cybersecurity as a top technology priority. However, it will be important for UK forces to bolster compliance and resilience as threats continue to evolve.
Trend 3. Accurate, timely, standardized data unlocks operational efficiency, strategic decision-making.
- Nearly all (98%) first responders agreed that public safety data is indispensable to their ability to secure funding or grants, and 92% said they use data and statistics to justify funding and budget requests. Virtually all (99%) divulged that they are required to manually transfer data by copy/paste or re-keying from one interface to another. Over a third (34%) of this group admitted that they must engage in these onerous efforts across all tools.
- Highlighting a clear opportunity for technology to streamline workflows, reduce administrative burdens, and free officers to spend more time on critical public safety work, an overwhelming 90% of first responders surveyed shared that they would save time by avoiding repetitive data entry across reports and systems.
- Ninety-four percent of first responders said they believe their data reporting processes could be improved. That’s an 8-percentage point increase from last year and signals a strong need for more efficient, accurate, and integrated reporting solutions.
- Nearly one-third (31%) of UK respondents said real-time information sharing across forces will have the greatest impact on frontline policing in 2026.
Trend 4. Modern technology can be an enabler to strengthen job satisfaction and maximize impact.
- 89% of first responders said switching between multiple applications affects their efficiency, with 53% reporting a significant impact. 99% said a single platform integrating all data sources would be helpful.
- A resounding 92% of law enforcement professionals said they believe updated technology like cloud solutions and mobile devices could help offset staffing shortages.
- The same share (92%) of law enforcement said that having RMS and dispatch technology directly on their mobile devices would boost confidence and efficiency in the field. This is a substantial year-over-year increase from the previous 82%.
- Virtually all (99%) law enforcement respondents said they do paperwork daily. More troubling is that 61% said they have spent an entire shift completing paperwork, and 77% said paperwork required them to take overtime, up 7% year-over-year.
- Meanwhile, more than three-quarters (77%) of first responders said that outdated or slow technology makes it harder for them to serve the community, delaying response times, limiting productivity, and creating operational roadblocks.
- In the UK, respondents cite streamlining administrative work (39%), enhancing transparency (18%), and supporting officer wellbeing (16%) as the top technology priorities, while budget and funding constraints (40%) and legacy IT systems (23%) remain the primary barriers. The direction is clear: UK forces see mobility, real-time information sharing, and AI-powered analytics as key enablers for frontline impact.
Trend 5. A consolidated tech stack improves interoperability, data sharing, and response.
- Ninety-eight percent of first responders said integrating CAD and RMS with technologies like drones, body cameras, and license plate readers (LPRs) is essential.
- A striking 92% of law enforcement professionals said they see greater opportunity to collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions through shared technology systems.
- Responders report progress is constrained by limited IT staff (43%), cross-agency coordination challenges (41%), and privacy or security concerns (39%).
- UK forces see connected systems as key to frontline impact, with 31% saying real-time information sharing across forces will have the greatest effect on policing by 2026.
- The key takeaway? Public safety depends on connected, accurate, and up-to-date information. Yet many agencies still operate fragmented systems that slow coordination and obscure the operational picture. As incidents grow more complex and cross-jurisdictional, an interoperable technology ecosystem that can communicate within itself and with other, peripheral systems is essential.
Mark43’s 2026 Public Safety Trends Report includes complete survey results and trends shaping the future of public safety in 2026 and beyond.