Making Law Enforcement Fit for the Future: Strategic Priorities for Policing in the Digital Age

The rapid evolution of new and emerging technologies is fundamentally reshaping modern law enforcement. These technologies present both opportunities to make policing more effective and efficient, and significant challenges that demand thoughtful governance, institutional adaptation and frameworks that ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. To explore these dynamics, the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department/Strategic Police Matters Unit organized a series of four expert roundtable discussions between October 2024 and October 2025. This synthesis paper distils the key findings, shared challenges and common opportunities identified across the four discussions, and outlines potential activities and initiatives through which the OSCE could support its participating States in this domain. It is intended to serve as a policy-oriented resource for decision-makers, practitioners and international partners seeking to advance the responsible adoption of new and emerging technologies in law enforcement.