They also imply an enhanced focus on counter-intelligence within law enforcement if it is to maintain any technological advantages gained and to assure the integrity of its own systems in the face of more sophisticated attempts to penetrate them. Recognising the importance of knowledge as a source of competitiveness . In addition, law enforcement's own competitive edge will increasingly depend on the way it acquires, creates, manages and transfers its own knowledge. Seeing the opportunities that the trends in the criminal environment provide for law enforcement . Almost all the drivers underlying new criminal threats also provide opportunities for law enforcement to exploit.
Technology can enable law enforcement to work smarter and more cost-effectively.
Improved intelligence systems can underpin innovative strategies that lead to greater impact on criminal activity. The challenge is to engender an organisational mindset that stimulates the search for these opportunities and does not only see the threats. Conclusion Finally, a few comments on what all this means for the skills and knowledge that will be required by the police to operate effectively in the world of the 21st century. We live in an increasingly interconnected world. But this is a reality that public administration generally is still struggling to come to grips with.