Packetalk Technologies CEO Tamer Zakary will participate in a panel discussion examining one of the increasingly important questions facing public-safety agencies: How can organizations adopt new technology while maintaining the trust of the communities they serve?

Zakary will join law-enforcement and public-sector technology leaders for “Privacy and Public Trust in Law Enforcement Technology” on Wednesday, October 28, during the 2026 County Technology Conference in Austin, Texas.

The discussion will explore how agencies can implement technologies that may raise public concerns while establishing appropriate safeguards, transparency and accountability.

Topics will include interoperability and information sharing between systems, safeguards surrounding shared data, limiting unauthorized use of technology, and the role technology vendors can play in supporting public trust.

Technology, Governance and Public Trust

Public-safety technology can provide agencies with greater visibility, improve information sharing and support investigations. As these capabilities become more powerful and interconnected, they also create important governance questions.

• Who should have access to information?
• Under what circumstances should information be searched or shared?
• How can agencies maintain appropriate control when connecting systems across organizations?
• And how can activity be reviewed when questions arise?

Packetalk’s approach emphasizes combining technology capabilities with appropriate permissions, privacy protections, access controls, auditability and responsible information sharing.

For technologies such as automated license plate recognition, this includes an important principle:

Interoperability should be permissioned, not automatic.

Connecting systems does not have to mean giving every participating user or agency unrestricted access. Instead, interoperability can be structured around defined relationships, permissions and rules that allow agencies to collaborate while maintaining appropriate control over information. This reflects the governance approach outlined in Packetalk’s Public Trust & Governance Framework.

Building Technology Around the Mission

Technology should support public-safety professionals rather than replace responsible human decision-making.

ALPR provides a practical example. An alert can provide an important investigative lead, but the information should be verified and evaluated in accordance with applicable law, agency policy and the circumstances involved.

Packetalk’s governance framework specifically describes an ALPR alert as an investigative lead rather than a substitute for judgment, legal authority or appropriate corroboration.

The broader principle extends beyond ALPR:

Technology can provide information. Accountable people still make decisions.

As cameras, analytics, connected systems and other public-safety technologies continue to advance, building governance and accountability alongside those capabilities will become increasingly important.

Privacy and Public Trust in Law Enforcement Technology

About Packetalk Technologies

Packetalk Technologies develops connected public-safety technology designed to improve situational awareness, connectivity and operational effectiveness.

Packetalk’s capabilities include connected camera systems, intelligent video analytics, public-safety networking, mobile ALPR, rapidly deployable surveillance systems and integrated public-safety solutions.

Explore Packetalk’s Connected Public Safety Solutions