Today, a plethora of smart devices and the rise of artificial intelligence are transforming public safety technology into an autonomous partner that can help keep society safe.
Digital technology is a vital tool in helping public safety institutions to prevent and fight crime more efficiently and effectively and serve citizens better. It has the potential to transform the way public safety is delivered in our communities.
The digitisation of police and other public safety institutions is helping in facilitating effective, efficient, and proactive policing.
Through public safety technology, law enforcement and safety institutions provide more data – accurately and transparently – as a fundamental step in creating true community policing that brings officers, citizens, and decision-makers together.
Public safety involves protecting the people, communities, and the economy against crimes, disasters, and other potential dangers and threats to their wellbeing and prosperity.
Essentially, the primary goals of public safety institutions are to protect, prevent, detect and respond proactively to solve incidents/threats by ensuring effective coordination among relevant agencies during and after such incidents.
Law enforcement officers, firefighters, ambulance and rescue personnel, those in drugs and narcotics control, road traffic controllers, communications and dispatch manpower, public employees, and emergency service providers are among prominent public safety professionals.
With the effect of the global coronavirus pandemic, both citizens and safety leaders are more ready than ever to embrace technology for public safety and security.
For effective public safety and security, China has developed an AnBot to patrol banks, airports, and schools. In Dubai, touchscreen-equipped robot officers now patrol tourist attractions.
It is reported that the deployment of Artificial Intelligece (AI) is helping the city of New Orleans to analyse evidence from more than 325 cameras. This has helped police in 70 per cent of cases by providing relevant video and information, and saving the department more than 2,000 hours of manual labour.
Smart streetlights with cameras, microphones and sensors, smart traffic signals, smart intersections, smart emergency vehicles, and smart buildings are among the numerous public safety technologies that use computers to gather intelligence about traffic, accidents, and crimes.
Today, a plethora of smart devices and the rise of artificial intelligence are transforming public safety technology into an autonomous partner that can help keep society safe.
Smart streetlights with cameras, microphones and sensors, smart traffic signals, smart intersections, smart emergency vehicles, and smart buildings are among the numerous public safety technologies that use computers to gather intelligence about traffic, accidents, and crimes.
Others are audio, video, and other sensory data from smart Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as drones, body-worn cameras, facial recognition equipment, biometrics, voice technology, robots, and automatic license plate recognition tools.
These improve communications, create transparency and strengthen a community’s ability to respond to crises, helping to make them safer and more resilient.
These public safety technologies are also giving first responders and emergency managers near real-time awareness and a vast knowledge base for policy decisions, training, and continuous improvement.
Globally, communication technologies are pervading every sector and bringing significant improvement in the ways we gather, process, and share information.
The emerging Fifth Generation (5G) technology and its revolutionary connectivity capabilities are at the vanguard of this transformation. This new technology provides higher speed, lower latency, and greater capacity than the existing 4G networks.
Its high connectivity speed is expected to drive emerging technologies like AI, machine learning, and IoT, among many others.
Designed to increase transmission, 5G is expected to boost public safety communications that would help create smarter, safer and more sustainable communities.
…the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) will not only suffice but it would also serve as the hub for the development of indigenous innovative solutions to our domestic public safety and security challenges.
Nigeria is among the developing economies that have initiated a national policy for the deployment of the 5G communication networks to consolidate its national digital agenda and the digital economy.
Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered all security and safety-related institutions to immediately leverage the emerging Fifth Generation (5G) technology to tackle insecurity in the country as soon as it is deployed.
The president declared that the Federal Government has resolved to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by 5G to improve the country’s economy, national security, and well-being of the people.
To this end, he directed the minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mallam Isa Ali Pantami, to supervise the implementation of the policy being carried out by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), alongside other government institutions.
Apart from the Nigerian armed forces, other public safety institutions are the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC); the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigeria Fire and Ambulance Services, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), just to name a few.
From the foregoing, it is evident that technology plays a pivotal role in the management of public safety and security, and Nigeria needs to embrace emerging technologies to tackle the situations in the country.
As much as the effort of the government remained commendable, there is an urgent need for the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to liaise with NCC and NITDA to implement the adoption of emerging technologies in the public safety and security sector.
Public safety and security professionals need to embark on lifelong learning to keep abreast of technological development in their areas of specialisation.
On this point, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) will not only suffice but it would also serve as the hub for the development of indigenous innovative solutions to our domestic public safety and security challenges.
Inyene Ibanga writes from Wuye District, Abuja; email: inyeneibanga@yahoo.com.
Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility
Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.
TEXT AD: To place an advert here . Call Willie - +2348098788999
JOIN THE CONVERSATION