The Pulse of Higher Ed

Perspectives on Online and Professional Education
from UPCEA’s Research and Consulting Experts

Crime in the Future: Lessons Learned from Hollywood

Photo of a person (Emily West) smiling at the camera

Emily West

Jim Fong, UPCEA

Jim Fong

Although the timelines are rarely ever accurate, Hollywood has often expanded our minds to see what the future could bring us, ranging from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey predicting a future with artificial intelligence and Star Wars with robotics being commonplace, to The Simpsons predicting certain presidents. Back to the Future, The Jetsons, Blade Runner and The Fifth Element introduced us to a world with flying and self-driving cars. Hollywood also shows us that our jobs will change. While Minority Report showed a far-fetched future of special lifeforms predicting crime before it happens, the real point is, as in the television series Person of Interest, some crimes can be predicted, anticipated, and prevented ahead of the occurrence. This also requires humans to play a major role in the outcome. 

With an AI world evolving, jobs will change. They will change in the criminal justice field, much of which is dependent on many factors, including the role of government, the private sector, and the citizens it impacts. There are many technologies under development (and some fully developed) that can identify past and potential violators, as well as engage them, but the integration of these tools is not 100% accurate and potentially violates many ethical, philosophical, and societal beliefs and rights. If society were willing to accept a high margin of error and wrongful identification, facial recognition and potential criminal tracking would be legal and accepted. This shouldn’t be, as many are biased, and until a level of accuracy is reached, the integration of new tools, processes, and systems to combat, battle, and prevent crime will be slow. 

What we do know is that it will impact existing jobs in law enforcement and prevention, as well as with the corrections system. Drone technology and the use of body cameras are two examples that have high adoption rates, as does the role of predictive analytics. What is less certain is what the police officer, detective, and corrections officer of the future will look like, what skills they will have, what tools and technologies they will use, and what policies will shape their jobs. Newer roles to prevent crime will also grow in the future, such as forensic and data analysts.   

UPCEA, in partnership with Lightcast, the leading data and information company in higher education and workforce development, is producing a number of occupational briefings spotlighting professions that will be impacted by technology. The first of the series is on law enforcement, which will be followed by the legal profession. Other occupational areas will include jobs from the healthcare, education, and engineering industries, among others. 

Click here to read the Jobs of the Future…and the Present: What Will Happen in Criminal Justice? occupational briefing.

Learn more about UPCEA's expert consultants

Do you need help with your PCO unit or campus? We can help. Contact UPCEA Research and Consulting for a brief consult. Email [email protected] or call us at 202-659-3130.

Trusted by the nation's top colleges and universities, UPCEA Research and Consulting provides the best value in the industry today. UPCEA's industry experts have years of experience in Online and Professional Continuing education - put them to work for you!

UPCEA Research and Consulting offers a variety of custom research and consulting options through an outcomes-focused pricing model. Find the option(s) that best suit your institution.

Learn more about UPCEA Research & Consulting


The UPCEA Difference

Unmatched Experience: For more than 100 years, UPCEA consultants have exclusively served the needs of online and professional continuing education programs. UPCEA consultants leverage their extensive industry expertise to expedite solutions, anticipate upcoming shifts, and offer distinct best practices, effectively aiding clients in achieving their goals.

Cost Effectiveness: As a nonprofit, member-serving organization, we provide unmatched value, allowing you to maximize limited research and consulting budgets.

Action in Motion: Our cadre of experienced, skilled authorities and expert practitioners propels you forward, translating research and consulting into impactful implementation, a distinctive hallmark of UPCEA. Our team of current and former institutional leaders will support you, turning research and consulting into action.

Mission Alignment: Like you, our mission is to enhance and expand educational opportunities and outcomes for adult and other non-traditional learners. We share your values and work in partnership with you to advance access and excellence in education.

Other UPCEA Updates + Blogs

Microcredentials, Modularity, and Mission: Insights from UPCEA’s Coffee Chat on Innovation in Healthcare Education

In partnership with the HELIX Summit on Continuing Medical Education  How are institutions navigating the dynamic intersection of workforce demands, digital learning, and credentialing innovation—especially in healthcare? That’s exactly what we explored in a recent Coffee Chat, where UPCEA leaders from across the higher education landscape gathered for an unrecorded but powerfully candid conversation on…

Read More

Leading with Values-Based Influence in Higher Education

Why Values-Based Influence Matters Now  Higher education is undergoing seismic shifts—demographic changes, budget constraints, AI disruption, and questions of relevance. In this environment, how we lead and why we lead matters as much as what we do as leaders. Leaders who operate from a strong internal compass—those grounded in values—offer clarity, stability, and hope.  Values-based…

Read More

Accreditation + Skill-Based Learning Addressed in New Executive Orders | Policy Matters (April 2025)

Major Updates Accreditation, Foreign Support, Skill-Based Learning Addressed in New Trump Executive Orders The Trump administration has continued issuing an unprecedented number of executive orders with recent directives directly impacting colleges and universities, addressing topics like accreditation reform, foreign influence, skills-based learning (including alternative credentials), and support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Two…

Read More

Online education booms in an era of lifelong learning (WorkingNation)

‘Strictly online institutions tend to serve working-age or older adults requiring flexible schedules constructed around family obligations and work. “Folks arrive at higher ed for a multitude of reasons,” says Julie Uranis, senior vice president of online and strategic initiatives for UPCEA (the Online and Professional Education Association), a resource for online university programs. “Online learning gives them…

Read More

Your Lifelong Learning Journey’s “Breadcrumbs” – How to Tell Your Story

As avid backcountry hikers, years ago my family decided it would be prudent to buy a GPS, even though we had a rescue dog with an incredible sense of direction. While many out-and-back or even loop hikes didn’t require high-powered digital GPS coordinates to find our way back to our vehicle, we did appreciate launching…

Read More

Key Findings from 2024 UPCEA Marketing Survey

As more and more institutions face internal and external pressures to identify and cultivate new revenue streams, many are turning to online and professional continuing education to attract new learners and address fiscal shortfalls. While this continued increase in supply undoubtedly benefits the student, it makes an already saturated market even more competitive. UPCEA’s 2024…

Read More

The Nation's Top Universities Choose UPCEA Research and Consulting

Informed decisions. Ideas that work. The data you need. Trusted by the top universities in the nation.