Life can be unpredictable. Natural disasters, crimes, or tragedies can occur anytime. These unforeseen circumstances can happen to us as individuals or as part of a society, so public safety is essential for governmental or societal architecture.
Public safety encompasses safeguarding or protecting citizens from crimes, disasters, and other potential dangers and threats within their environment. When you think of public safety, think of agencies like the security operatives, police officers, national guards, troopers, emergency response teams, parole officers, fire forces, etc., and their shared responsibility to protect the citizens and the community.
The internet has brought globalization into a complete cycle through innovative technologies, some of which are deployed for public safety purposes. Many governments have signed on to create intelligent cities for their citizens to improve public safety. According to Juniper Research, smart cities may see up to a 15 percent improvement in emergency response times and a 10 percent reduction in violent crime.
In the large scheme of things and as society continues to develop, below is a list of innovative technologies that public safety agencies can deploy to excellently deliver on their mission and foster public safety in the various communities.
Next-generation Data Centers
Data is life, and to create a more robust public safety structure, it has to be accessible. To build a central database where first responders, police officers, and other security agencies can have access to help improve security apparatus. This differs from interagency data sharing, and it is about developing a central database where public and private security agencies can access.
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The next-generation data center must be hardware-based, hands-free, remotely managed, which can help identify potential threats and thwart attackers and malware.
Smart Video Feeds and Audio Surveillance
Developing software that loops all the streets and building security cameras together will be a massive step toward ensuring public safety. There should be no dichotomy between publicly installed CCTV and privately owned ones in a smart city. They should sync together to reduce blind spots in video networks.
Besides reducing blind spots, developing an intelligent video feed will solve the problem of low-quality imagery and slow data retrieval, which can escalate terrorist and criminal activities. More or less, improving the cameras’ audio capabilities will help detect keywords from uttered conversations that threaten public safety.
Data Analytics and AI Software
People and governments are warming up to artificial intelligence to help them manage or detect any threats from the flood of data collected from security feeds, interagency reports, and other databases. During a crisis or disaster, AI software tools can help collate data, separate them, analyze it, develop varied responses for the situation, and improve predictive policing.
Sometimes there is a need to analyze dispatching software to reroute 911 calls. AI software comes in handy, and data analytics software helps pinpoint locations that need resources the most during disaster periods of crisis.
Multi-approach Tech-based Solutions
The public safety industry has benefitted from tech-driven advancement and data analytics. Many states have transitioned to intelligent street lighting systems to manage energy consumption, but it can do more than that. Technology can alter or network lights to deter crimes, detect gunfire, make public safety announcements over loudspeakers and sound emergency alarms.
Also, body-worn camera systems can be developed to do more than record video. Developers can create embedded software for automatic transcription, Wi-Fi connectivity, and other solutions for storing and processing large amounts of video data.
Detection and Biometric Technology
Gone are the days when biometrics could only detect criminals using fingerprints. It has developed into an innovative stage for detecting facial features, iris patterns, gaits, voiceprints, and human thermal signatures.
However, to improve public safety, biometric technology can be tweaked to detect threats with highly sophisticated methods such as gunshot detection systems, facial recognition cameras, and AI-based surveillance systems. It can quickly identify and triangulate areas frequented by violent criminals and stop them before they carry out any attack.
Advanced Communication Networks
Public safety can only get better when a communication network isn’t susceptible to security breaches, hence developing a private broadband network only for security operatives to promote public safety.
Advanced communication networks also include building a secure communication channel for interagency looping to pass on information for security or public safety agents when they are needed during a crisis event.
Public safety in the modern era requires thinking outside the box. Those mentioned above are salient ways for concerned stakeholders to safeguard their citizens, reduce crime rates, and manage disasters and threats appropriately.
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