Content provided by Cognyte
By Brian Gilkey, vice president of sales, Cognyte
Public safety agencies face an intensifying, complex operational environment of high-risk events this year. Large public gatherings are growing in scale and complexity, while threats evolve faster across physical, digital and informational domains. Major events such as the FIFA World Cup 2026 highlight what many agencies already face every day: compressed timelines, massive volumes of information, multijurisdictional coordination and heightened public expectations. In 2026, in particular, the FIFA World Cup is being hosted in not one but three locations, in three different countries. This will intensify operational challenges beyond the usual scope of the already high-risk event for law enforcement.
Success in this environment depends on intelligence being embedded throughout the operational lifecycle. Agencies must anticipate emerging risks, adapt in real time and maintain continuity between prevention, response and investigation. Intelligence-led policing is no longer a specialized function. Along with new advanced investigative analytics solutions, it is the backbone of modern event security and public safety operations.
Staying left of boom through intelligence
One of the biggest challenges agencies face in 2026 and beyond is how quickly potential threats can turn into real incidents. Left of boom work now means spotting early warning signs across many channels and vectors, such as online activity, locations tied to an event and social media chatter, while deciding what matters before a situation escalates.
Intelligence-led policing enables agencies to integrate information from law enforcement data, open sources, partner reporting and event-specific inputs into a coherent, holistic picture. The challenge is not necessarily access to data but reaction time and prioritization. With staffing constraints expected to continue through 2026, the ability to focus analyst and operator attention on what matters most is critical.
Advanced analytics and AI-assisted workflows are increasingly used to surface patterns, anomalies and risk indicators earlier in the cycle. These capabilities help law enforcement agencies move faster without sacrificing rigor, allowing limited resources to be applied where they have the greatest preventative impact.
Responding with context when incidents occur
Even with strong preparation, incidents can still occur. In 2026, expectations for quicker response times are higher than ever. Commanders and frontline personnel need immediate access to context, not just alerts, specifically, but not limited to, who is involved and what the criminal/agitator’s next actions could be.
Intelligence-led response integrates analytical insight directly into operational decision-making to help elevate citizen and officer safety. Rather than relying on fragmented systems or delayed reporting, agencies can operate from a shared understanding of the situation as it unfolds. This reduces uncertainty, improves coordination and supports faster, more confident decisions under pressure.
Right of boom operations, or actions taken after an incident has occurred, help to neutralize the threat faster, reduce casualties and significantly diminish collateral damage. It also helps to generate intelligence that can be used for follow-up prevention for future incidents. Agencies that can rapidly utilize and share information during and after an incident are better positioned to mitigate secondary risks and prevent recurrence or scaling of activities.
Sharing intelligence across jurisdictions at scale
Large-scale events and routine operations alike increasingly cross jurisdictional boundaries. In 2026, effective policing depends on trusted intelligence sharing between local, state, federal and private sector partners.
Siloed systems and inconsistent workflows slow response and create blind spots. Intelligence-led policing requires platforms and processes that support secure collaboration, shared context and governance at scale. When agencies operate from the same intelligence picture, coordination improves and duplication decreases.
This capability is especially important during major events where multiple agencies must operate as a single ecosystem. The ability to share insights quickly and consistently supports both proactive risk identification and coordinated response.
Keeping pace with technology and AI in 2026
Technology and AI adoption are accelerating across policing, with 2026 expected to bring broader operationalization rather than experimentation. AI is being applied to analytics, information triage, cyber investigations and digital evidence management, while helping agencies cope with staffing shortages and growing data volumes.
At the same time, misinformation, deepfakes and digitally enabled threats are becoming more prevalent. Agencies must be able to validate information rapidly and distinguish credible risks from noise. Our recent Police1 webinar focused specifically on these technology trends, including how AI and data integration support accuracy, efficiency and officer safety.
The value of decision intelligence-led operations
Cognyte’s decision intelligence platform unifies disparate data sources into a single operational view, enabling agencies to detect patterns earlier, share intelligence securely and act with greater confidence across jurisdictions.
In modern threat environments, time is the most critical and limited resource. The period leading up to an incident or attack is where prevention is possible, yet it is often consumed by manual data collection, validation and analysis. After an incident, seconds and minutes directly influence outcomes, responder safety and public confidence. Traditional intelligence processes are time-intensive, fragmenting attention across systems and slowing decision-making when speed matters most.
By embedding intelligence directly into workflows, the platform drastically reduces the time spent processing and analyzing information, accelerating time to insight and preserving precious decision space for commanders and operators. This reclaimed time translates directly into faster command response, more decisive action and improved coordination across prevention, response and investigation. For agencies facing major events, staffing constraints and rapidly evolving threats, decision intelligence provides the foundation for scalable, intelligence-driven operations when every moment counts.
Intelligence as a continuous advantage
As public safety challenges intensify in 2026, intelligence-led policing remains the common thread connecting preparation, response and recovery. Major events such as the FIFA World Cup 2026 illustrate the scale of coordination and insight required.
Law enforcement agencies that invest in integrated intelligence capabilities, embrace responsible use of AI and strengthen crossjurisdictional collaboration are better positioned to operate left of boom and respond effectively to the right of boom. The result is not just safer events but a more proactive, adaptive approach to public safety in a rapidly changing world.
About the author
Brian Gilkey is vice president of sales at Cognyte, a provider of intelligence and investigative analytics used by law enforcement and homeland security agencies. He partners with agencies across North America, including major city police departments, federal organizations and multiagency task forces to support intelligence-led operations, modernize investigations and improve information sharing. Brian brings a strong understanding of public safety operations and leadership priorities, with experience supporting investigations related to violent crime, organized crime, counterterrorism and homeland security. He regularly engages with executive command staff on how intelligence, analytics and emerging technologies can strengthen investigative effectiveness while aligning with governance and operational realities.