Baltimore Police Department in 'Chaos' over Old, Unsupported Technology

The Baltimore Police Department’s technology is currently in “chaos,” with police officers using technology that’s over twenty-years-old, with no plans to replace aging equipment, according to a report.

“Core technologies used by the department are no longer supported by software vendors, with some over 20 years old,” reported Ars Technica, who described the department’s technology situation as “chaos.”

“And the Motorola radio system used for mobile communications by the force, including 911 dispatch, will no longer be supported after this year — and there are no plans in place to replace it,” they continued.

In an investigation into the police department, a survey noted that, “BPD lacks IT policies and procedures.”

“Where they do exist, policies and procedures are often not followed [or] enforced. This includes a lack of database standards and database documentation that has contributed to grossly unreliable databases of questionable utility,” the survey claimed. “Many units within the department have similarly become silos in which individuals have developed business processes that may or may not use certain information systems as intended or have created workarounds to complete analysis that the existing systems cannot do. Alternatively, some units have purchased new systems in an effort to meet their needs.”