Page 42 - Security Today, March 2021

The Digital Year Smart cities already on the rise following a hectic pandemic year
By Akif Ekin
Last year, global citizens experienced dramatic shifts to working from home in response to COVID-19 safety recommendations, with communication, technology and security companies supporting changing business and consumer needs with new products, services and data security tools. At the start of 2021, McKinsey & Company offers up “While a tumultuous and tragic 2020 will usher in a 2021 fraught with uncertainty, one thing is crystal clear: it will be a distinctly digital year .”
Smart cities were already on the rise at the start of the 21st century, with governments and institutions putting data to work to improve the lives of residents and workforces. From artificial intelligence-backed emergency response operations to traffic management solutions and tracking carbon emissions, technol- ogy is helping city’s improve lives.
Combined with rising smartphone use worldwide, advances in AI technology used to track and analyze large data sets and lowering costs for implementing smart city solutions, the way cit- ies use technology to improve health and safety is set for huge advancements this year. As security professionals look to respond to growing threats worldwide, mobility and connectivity are at the heart of improved security efforts.
SMART CITY SECURITY: MOBILITY, CONNECTION AND AI
More than 66% of the world’s population is projected to live in cities by 2050. As populations grow, mobile technology solutions that support and connect law enforcement staff are growing in importance. That is why a central component to implementing cost effective smart city solutions is a strong digital network. As police budgets and resources stretch, a greater reliance on tech- nologies that help security staff share, collect, store and use data to respond to threats quickly and efficiently is also needed.
According to Gerhard Schaub, president of the Police Officers Association in Zurich, Switzerland, “Police work is turning out to become increasingly digitized, and the way we worked 40 years ago is not an efficient way to ensure the security of a city. Police need access to systems that are designed to be used across borders to more effectively fight crime.”
As the amount of data cities and people collect daily grows, a reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to collect, moni- tor and understand that data is essential. Independent and discon- nected security solutions no longer offer the tools security pro- fessionals need. For example, a security camera that doesn’t also analyze the footage and alert officers when something important is recorded, just adds more work to an officers’ busy schedule.
AI serves as the backbone of smart city solutions, from iden- tifying environmental patterns to improving transportation infra- structure. With new mobile technology solutions collecting more information than ever before and cloud storage solutions offer- ing cost effective ways to store and share data, AI-backed tools are helping cities better understand and use that data. Across the globe, cities are incorporating machine learning, data analytics,
“As security professionals look to respond to growing threats worldwide, mobilityandconnectivityareatthe heart of improved security efforts.”
visualization, and smart connected technologies to develop real- time, dynamic systems that learn and self-regulate.
Ekin’s smart city security solutions use AI-backed data col- lection and analysis tools to simplify implementation and use by law enforcement. The company’s Red Eagle operating system connects mobile devices, data capture and analysis, and reporting tools to streamline citywide security, from traffic management to surveillance cameras, with centralized management and commu- nication across systems. For example, it allows law enforcement agencies and teams to compare footage from devices across the city using multiple devices and from different locations.
Using mobile and fixed facial recognition tools, automatic li- cense plate readers (ALPR) and speed enforcement technology, the Red Eagle system alerts partner police department and law enforcement agencies when a tracked vehicle is located using push notifications and collaborative communication tools. The system is designed to easily share information across law enforcement agen- cies, with features such as note attachments which makes it easy to provide evidence for retroactive investigations and data sharing.
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND SMART CITIES
Smart city technologies offer affordable, long-term solutions for traffic management, including optimizing infrastructure, reducing conges- tion, improving air quality by reducing carbon emissions and lowering traffic accident rates. That’s why traffic management continues to serve as a central component to smart city development and the technology that supports it will continue to dominate the future of the industry.
Law enforcement agencies tasked with managing traffic flow and both driver and pedestrian safety are seeking more proac- tive solutions that help prevent congestion and accidents before they happen. For example, ALPR technology helps reduce the time to identify violators who disrupt the flow of traffic. When it is combined with mobile security solutions that offer citywide connectivity, law enforcement professionals gain the ability to not only detect a violation but also quickly and efficiently respond.
ALPR and speed detection technology dominate the field when it comes to smart traffic solutions. However, cities have varying lev- els and needs with respect to smart traffic management solutions, so delivering solutions that are customizable and
work within a city’s current model are necessary.
And training is needed as new solutions are im-
plemented, to ensure they are used to the maxi-
mum benefit.
Akif Ekin is an aerospace and aircraft engineer, and is the president of Ekin – Smart City Solutions.
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MARCH 2021 | SECURITY TODAY
SMART CITIES