From Fingerprints to License Plate Readers: Why Innovation Matters in Public Safety and What History Can Teach Us

Every generation of police leaders faces the same question: Will we embrace innovation or fear it?

From fingerprints and DNA to body-worn cameras and drones, many of the technologies we now take for granted were once criticized as intrusive, unnecessary, or dangerous. Today, license plate readers stand at the center of that same debate.

In this thought-provoking article, FPI Fellow, Chief Jason Potts discusses what history teaches us about technological change in policing, why innovation matters in public safety, and how leaders can responsibly balance progress, accountability, and public trust in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

To read the article click here.