2026 Public Safety Agenda for Local Governments
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Introduction
Heading into 2026, local governments and law enforcement agencies face multifaceted public safety pressures including public concern about crime, ongoing staffing shortages, and the rapid transformation of opportunities brought on by new technology. Even when local victimization risks are stable or improving, a large share of Americans still view crime—especially in major cities—as a serious problem, shaping expectations for visible, effective public safety responses. As external pressures mount and federal support fluctuates, local jurisdictions must rely on partnerships, data, and innovation to improve both actual safety and residents’ sense of safety.
The following priorities highlight pragmatic, locally actionable steps leaders can take to address serious violence; stabilize public safety workforces; and adopt emerging technologies in transparent, accountable, and responsive ways.
Agenda
Focused Deterrence with Integrated Data Systems
Why:
Serious violence in most cities remains concentrated among a relatively small number of individuals, networks, and micro-locations known as “hot spots.” Local agencies often operate with fragmented data systems that limit their ability to quickly identify high-risk individuals or coordinate across police, probation, prosecutors, and service providers. Real-time data enables cities to deliver more precise, focused interventions that reduce violence without broad, resource-intensive enforcement.
Benefit:
A unified data strategy allows agencies to prioritize the highest impact people and places, improve clearance rates, and respond faster to emerging patterns and trends. Streamlined information sharing strengthens collaboration with community partners; increases precision in service referrals; and supports fair, highly targeted interventions. When implemented correctly, focused deterrence reduces violence while improving legitimacy among the most affected populations.
Keep in Mind:
- Effective local strategies depend on agencies’ capacity to collect, maintain, and analyze reliable data and to make key datasets publicly available. This requires sufficient technological infrastructure, standardized reporting practices, and a commitment to publishing data in understandable and actionable formats.
- Focused deterrence requires consistent messaging, credible community partners, and clearly defined consequences and supports.
- Success hinges on coordination—not just operational data, but shared commitments among agencies and communities.
Where Communities Stand:
Residents tend to support strategies that concentrate on the small population driving the majority of violence, especially when paired with clear communication and meaningful support opportunities. High Point, North Carolina is a leading example: Community groups there participated directly in outreach meetings explaining how the “pulling-levers” deterrence model works, why certain individuals were identified, and what support was offered. This helped build public legitimacy and encourage residents to view the strategy as targeted, proportional, and fair.
Recruitment and Retention
Why:
Law enforcement agencies across the country continue to face staffing shortages driven by declining applicant pools, heightened operational demands, and shifting generational expectations about workplace culture. Localities hold the primary authority over hiring processes, incentives, promotional pathways, and internal management, making municipal action the most direct way to stabilize the workforce.
Benefit:
Improving recruitment and retention increases operational readiness, reduces burnout, and preserves institutional knowledge. Locally driven solutions—such as accelerated hiring pipelines, housing stipends, modernized promotional structures, and expanded civilian roles—can meaningfully strengthen staffing without relying on state legislation. A more stable workforce also directly enhances public safety: Higher staffing levels increase visible presence in neighborhoods, support timely responses to emergencies, and improve case clearance rates by giving investigators the time and bandwidth for thorough follow-up. Consistent staffing also enables agencies to sustain prevention-focused initiatives, maintain specialized units, and build long-term community relationships that contribute to stronger safety outcomes overall.
Keep in Mind:
- Compensation matters, but so do work schedules, child care support, career development, and wellness programming.
- Younger recruits expect transparent leadership, modern technology, and opportunities for skill building and advancement.
- Retention improves when agencies communicate proactively with candidates and reduce administrative delays.
Where Communities Stand:
Across cities, residents consistently express support for fully staffed law enforcement agencies and expect local leaders to invest in stable, professional workforces. In Florida, the Naples Police Department illustrates how local incentive programs can align with community expectations. Discussions around the city’s signing bonus and retention stipends reflect public recognition that staffing levels affect response times, visibility, and an overall sense of safety. While communities support these investments, they increasingly want assurance that recruitment efforts improve professionalism, training, and community engagement—not just headcounts. Local initiatives are best received when framed as part of a broader commitment to effective policing.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools in Policing
Why:
AI-enabled tools—such as automated transcription, real-time crime analytics, early intervention systems, and enhanced digital evidence review—are rapidly becoming integral to modern policing. These technologies help alleviate some of agencies’ most pressing operational burdens, including the overwhelming volume of body-worn camera and digital evidence footage, persistent staffing shortages, and low case-clearance rates driven by limited investigative capacity. When deployed with appropriate safeguards, AI can shift departments from a strictly reactive posture toward more proactive, preventative strategies by identifying patterns earlier and freeing up officer time for fieldwork and community engagement. Agencies can independently adopt and pilot these technologies, but they must do so with appropriate safeguards to maintain transparency, fairness, and public confidence.
Benefit:
AI can reduce the administrative burden on officers, speed up investigative workflows, and improve the accuracy of information used to guide deployment decisions. Automating routine tasks like drafting reports, entering data into the system, and reviewing body-worn camera footage allows personnel to focus on proactive policing and case follow-up. When responsibly deployed, AI tools help agencies solve crimes faster, reduce backlogs, and strengthen community trust.
Keep in Mind:
- All AI tools should undergo rigorous testing for accuracy, reliability, and disparate impact concerns.
- Human oversight is essential—AI should support professional judgment, not replace it.
- Public-facing explanations of how tools function increase legitimacy and reduce fear of misuse.
Where Communities Stand:
Public attitudes toward AI are mixed: Residents often support technologies that help solve violent crimes or locate dangerous offenders but remain cautious about privacy, data retention, and automated decision-making. The expansion of AI-enabled drones and real-time information-sharing tools in Kansas City, Missouri has sparked both enthusiasm about faster response and concerns about privacy and oversight among local officials, advocates, and residents. Jurisdictions adopting AI tools should anticipate similar debates and build trust by investing in proactive communication, community briefings, and clear policy frameworks.