The Plan to Make American Crime Obsolete

May 19, 2026

1:15

The Plan to Make American Crime Obsolete

Imagine if the tools law enforcement uses could make crime almost obsolete — that's the bold vision in this conversation between David Ulevitch, Col. Jeffrey Glover, and Rahul Sidhu, as shared on the a16z podcast. The idea is that AI, drones, and sensor networks aren't just shiny tech — they’re transforming public safety. Glover explains how Arizona’s DPS is building a tech ecosystem with body cameras that detect burnout, wellness scans, and international intel sharing, all to make officers more effective and safer. Sidhu adds that layered sensors — like license plate readers and gunshot detectors — are shifting policing from reactive to proactive. Now, here’s where it gets fascinating: many founders get law enforcement wrong because they overlook what officers actually do on the beat. As content+a16zpodcast@a16z.com reports, the next decade will demand entirely new skills from police, driven by these emerging technologies. So — here’s the question — if crime is becoming less about what we catch and more about what we prevent, how soon will these innovations make traditional crime a thing of the past?

David Ulevitch speaks with Col. Jeffrey Glover and Rahul Sidhu about how AI, drones, and sensor networks are reshaping public safety and what it takes to bring new technology into law enforcement at scale. As departments face staffing shortages, burnout, and rising complexity, they examine how the right tools can make officers more effective, safer, and better supported.

The conversation covers how drone-as-first-responder programs are changing the speed and safety of emergency response, from high-risk warrant service to Amber Alert pursuits. Glover describes how Arizona DPS is building a full technology ecosystem around its officers, including body-worn camera analytics for burnout detection, brain scan wellness checks, and international intelligence-sharing partnerships ahead of FIFA and the Olympics. Sidhu explains how Flock Safety's layered sensor network — license plate readers, gunshot detection, and drone dispatch — is turning reactive policing into proactive, data-driven response.

They also discuss what founders get wrong when building for law enforcement, why spending time on the beat matters more than any product spec, and how the next decade will fundamentally change the skills required to be a police officer in America.

Resources:

Follow Col. Jeffrey Glover on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-glover-mpa-83310416/

Follow Rahul on X: https://x.com/rahul

Follow David on X: https://x.com/davidu

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Audio Transcript