Executive Summary: Key Trends in Modern Policing (May-August 2025)

Policing is rapidly changing, driven by new technologies, shifts in legal oversight, public expectations, and financial pressures. This summary highlights the most important developments from May to August 2025.

1. Technology is Everywhere, But So Are the Questions:

• Drones: Police are increasingly using drones, especially American-made, government-compliant models. Programs like Axon’s SkySwap are helping agencies trade in older, foreign-made drones to meet new national security rules. This push for “Made in USA” tech is changing the market, but also raises questions about vendor dominance and long-term costs. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• AI Surveillance: AI is being used more for surveillance, with systems like Axon Fusus integrating various camera feeds and Veritone’s “Track” identifying people by non-facial features (like clothing or gait). While these tools aim to boost efficiency, they spark major privacy concerns. Critics worry about police getting “backdoor access” to private camera networks and bypassing existing facial recognition bans. [5, 6, 7, 8]
• Global Digital Push: Countries like the UK and India are also heavily investing in digital policing strategies, focusing on AI, data management, and citizen-friendly services. This shows a worldwide trend towards tech-driven law enforcement, but the ethical and privacy challenges are universal. [9, 10, 11, 12]

2. Accountability is Shifting, But Not Always Clearly:

• Use of Force Rules: The Supreme Court made a key ruling, stating that courts must look at the “total situation” leading up to an officer’s use of deadly force, not just the moment the force was used. This broadens how officers are held accountable, but the Court avoided a direct ruling on whether an officer’s actions that create a dangerous situation should be considered. [13, 14, 15]
• Federal Retreat: The U.S. Department of Justice under the Trump administration is pulling back from federal oversight of police departments, canceling reform agreements in cities like Minneapolis and Louisville. This means police reform is now largely up to individual states and cities. While some cities are committed to continuing reforms, this federal withdrawal could lead to inconsistent progress and less accountability nationwide. [16, 17, 18]
• AI Laws are Fragmented: U.S. states are scrambling to pass laws regulating AI, but these efforts are often piecemeal and inconsistent. This fragmented approach creates loopholes for new surveillance technologies and makes it hard to ensure comprehensive privacy protection. [19, 20]

3. Public Trust and New Approaches to Policing:

• Officer Safety & Mental Health: A survey revealed that police officers see mental health calls as their biggest safety concern, even more than active shooter incidents. They also feel that negative media portrayals and political rhetoric are fueling aggression towards them. This highlights a need for better training in crisis intervention and for police leaders to actively manage public perception. [21, 22]
• Diverting 911 Calls: There’s a growing movement, like the “12 Million Calls Initiative,” to send non-criminal 911 calls (such as mental health crises) to non-police responders. This aims to reduce the burden on police and provide more appropriate help for community members. [23, 24]

4. Money and Manpower are Major Headaches:

• Financial Strain: Police forces, like Lincolnshire Police in the UK, are facing severe budget crises, threatening their ability to provide basic services like responding to emergency calls. This shows that underfunding can push forces to the brink, impacting public safety. [25, 26]
• Staffing Shortages: Many officers report that understaffing compromises their safety and leads to dangerously delayed backup. This, combined with arguments that federal oversight makes recruitment harder, points to a complex challenge in maintaining adequate police presence and morale. [21, 16]

In essence, policing is at a crossroads. It’s embracing powerful new technologies, but grappling with how to regulate them ethically. Accountability is becoming more localized, demanding strong leadership and community involvement. And forces are struggling with financial and staffing issues while trying to adapt to new public safety demands, especially around mental health. The future of policing will depend on how these tensions are managed to ensure both public safety and trust. Research was conducted using Grok, Copilot, Gemini, and ChatGPT, and compiled with Gemini in Research Mode.

For significantly more extensive analysis, review the academic version of this document – Smith, C. F. An Academic Analysis of Contemporary Policing Trends May-Aug. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.26906.56002

This is a summary of inquiries conducted August 1, 2025 and posted on https://carterfsmith.com/policing-issues-according-to-4-ais/,  https://carterfsmith.com/policing-issues-according-to-4-ais-2/,  https://carterfsmith.com/policing-issues-according-to-4-ais-3/, and https://carterfsmith.com/policing-issues-according-to-4-ais-4/ 

References

1. Axon’s SkySwap program – Axon.com, https://www.axon.com/blog/skyswap-program  

2. SkySwap – Axon.com, https://www.axon.com/getstarted/skyswap  

3. New drone laws take effect: What public safety agencies need to …, https://www.axon.com/resources/new-drone-laws-take-effect  

4. Sen. Rick Scott Introduces Drones for America Act to Ban Chinese-Made Drones & C, https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2025/6/sen-rick-scott-introduces-drones-for-america-act-to-ban-chinese-made-drones-components-support-u-s-drone-manufacturing  

5. Experts warn of expanding surveillance as Lawrence police adopt …, https://lawrencekstimes.com/2025/07/25/experts-warn-surveillance-lpd-system/  

6. Axon Fusus, https://www.axon.com/products/axon-fusus  

7. US police tracking people using AI that identifies non-biometric …, https://www.biometricupdate.com/202505/us-police-tracking-people-using-ai-that-identifies-non-biometric-attributes  

8. AI-Powered Investigative Tool & Tracking | Veritone Track, https://www.veritone.com/applications/tracker  

9. National Policing Digital Strategy – Police Digital Service, https://pds.police.uk/national-policing-digital-strategy/  

10. National Policing Digital Strategy 2025-2030, https://pds.police.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/250519-NPCC-Digital-Strategy_FINAL.pdf  

11. Rourkela police, NIT-R sign pact for tech advancements in policing …, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/rourkela-police-nit-r-sign-pact-for-tech-advancements-in-policing/articleshow/122910880.cms  

12. NIT Rourkela, Rourkela Police Ink MoU for Smart Policing – Argus English, https://argusenglish.in/Odisha/nit-rourkela-rourkela-police-ink-mou-for-smart-policing  

13. Supreme Court Rejects “Moment of Threat” Doctrine in Deadly …, https://imla.org/2025/05/supreme-court-rejects-moment-of-threat-doctrine-in-deadly-shooting-case/  

14. Barnes v. Felix | Supreme Court Bulletin | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/cert/23-1239  

15. The Brief: Five Years After George Floyd, Report on Use of Force Regulation (June 2025), https://law.stanford.edu/2025/06/25/the-brief-police-use-of-force-policies-redesigned-our-website-june-2025/  

16. DOJ Abandons Police Reform Agreements with Louisville, https://www.louisvillecardinal.com/2025/05/doj-abandons-police-reform-agreements-with-louisville/  

17. Justice Department moves to cancel police reform settlements with …, https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-police-reform-george-floyd-9d7cf00be8477e3dcb2fe1a658d73667  

18. Police Use of Force Policies Across America – Stanford Center for …, https://law.stanford.edu/2025/06/25/police-use-of-force-policies-across-america/  

19. Artificial Intelligence 2025 Legislation, https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/artificial-intelligence-2025-legislation  

20. There’s a national reckoning in the US on data brokers and digital rights | Biometric Update, https://www.biometricupdate.com/202507/theres-a-national-reckoning-in-the-us-on-data-brokers-and-digital-rights  

21. How police can reshape public perception and improve officer safety, https://www.police1.com/what-cops-want/cops-say-false-narratives-are-fueling-aggression-heres-what-police-leaders-can-do-about-it 

22. On demand: What cops want in 2025 — Safer, smarter responses to mental health calls, https://www.police1.com/what-cops-want/webinar-what-cops-want-in-2025-safer-smarter-responses-to-mental-health-calls  

23. Announcements – The Policing Project, https://www.policingproject.org/news-main  

24. Announcing the 12 Million Calls Initiative — The Policing Project, https://www.policingproject.org/news-main/2025/5/29/launching-the-12-million-calls-initiative  

25. Lincolnshire Police could declare itself ‘bankrupt’ – the effects …, https://uk.news.yahoo.com/lincolnshire-police-could-declare-itself-102320019.html 

26. What would it mean if Lincolnshire Police went ‘bankrupt’?, https://www.lincolnshireworld.com/news/people/what-would-it-mean-if-lincolnshire-police-went-bankrupt-5228717