Guardian Adds 149 Public Safety Agencies in 2026

Guardian Alliance Technologies added 149 agencies in the first eight months of 2026 as public safety organizations moved background investigations from paper-based processes to electronic systems. Its nationwide network grew from 1,239 active agencies at the end of 2025 to 1,388 by September 30. The network includes 72 private investigation firms serving public safety agencies, approximately 14,600 agency users and more than 360,000 applicant records. The company’s platform is designed to help agencies assess candidates earlier while maintaining investigation standards.

Digital Prescreening for Hiring

Public safety departments can spend time and resources on written examinations, physical agility tests and administrative work before determining whether applicants meet basic eligibility requirements. Guardian’s Triage Center digitally prescreens applicants before a full background investigation, helping departments identify potentially disqualifying information earlier and reduce unnecessary processing costs.

Justin Biedinger, President and Founder at Guardian Alliance Technologies, said:

“The public safety market is reaching a tipping point in the transition to electronic background investigations. This year's growth alone shows that more agencies are recognizing that they can move qualified applicants through the process faster without sacrificing the accuracy, consistency or quality of their investigations. Each agency that joins Guardian also strengthens the network, creating greater visibility and value for every public safety organization participating in the Guardian platform.”

Faster Applicant Reviews

The Philadelphia Police Department reduced its application-to-hire timeline from approximately one year to 56 days after implementing Guardian. The department also increased annual academy candidate volume from approximately 120 to 468.

For agencies recruiting from overlapping applicant pools, the expanding network provides greater visibility into applicant activity across jurisdictions. Participating departments can coordinate more securely and efficiently when reviewing shared candidates.

Agency Network Growth

Guardian provides centralized document collection, digital prescreening, investigation management and approval routing for law enforcement and public safety agencies. Its tools include data management, task automation and artificial intelligence assisted social media screening. The company expects adoption to continue as organizations seek to remove paper-based bottlenecks and process qualified candidates more efficiently.