The Evans County (GA) Smart Policing Initiative: The Use of Technology to Improve Communication and Job Readiness in Rural Georgia

Communication and technology limitations continue to plague rural law enforcement throughout the US. The Evans County, Georgia SPI is an effort to improve communication and crime analysis between a county Sherriff?s office and two small municipalities? police departments using technology in the forms of smart phones, computer analytic tools, and synchronized databases. The evaluation has three parts: (1) the successes and roadblocks of implementing technology in rural agencies; (2) whether the technology improved communication leading to increased readiness; and (3) how the communication and effectiveness of these three agencies and departments fare with comparison agencies and departments in the area.