From a better pair of headphones to solutions straight from science fiction, new communications tools are emerging all the time. They run the gamut from simple to exceedingly complex, but all share common goals: to help law enforcement professionals communicate with one another more effectively and acquire the information they need more quickly.

“It expands our ability to do things,” said Craig Withycombe, an officer with the Lowell Police Department in Massachusetts, of a new communications tool at his agency. “We can begin to bundle and delineate information and get that information into the hands of officers more quickly. Where are my assaults happening? Where are my breaking and enterings (B&Es) happening? Which ones happened at a business, which ones are at a residence, and which ones are happening in motor vehicles?”