The IGP, smart policing and technology

BY ‘LANDE FATIROTI

We live in an age and times in which crime has increased stratospherically to become one of the major indices of the modern condition, and a fact of social life whose ubiquity is as pronounced as it is highly unsettling. The typical response to this level of disorder is to increase measures of control that include having more boots on the ground, as well as engaging in wider surveillance practices, complemented by broader activations of mechanisms of deterrence and subjection to correctional institutions. These all signal the expansion of our justice system, and thus greater financial consequences to the State.

However, another significant aspect of the modern condition – almost acting in a way that countervails the foregoing – is the demand on the State to keep maintaining fiscal balance, as needs outpace the availability of resources to cater for them. As such, with newer resource constraints on government, the upsurge in contemporary security challenges – from armed robberies, kidnappings to escalating terrorist acts – have not been complemented by the increases in public funding to deal with these concerns, with implications in the shortages of personnel and requisite skills for policing. This has thus instigated the need for innovative leadership to combat crime in more cost-effective ways.

Hence, the necessity of smart policing, anchored on the ingenuity of technology, has become inevitable, with the Nigerian Police requiring deeper compliance with the mandates of greater knowledge-driven and automated procedures, in a way that equally bridges and transcends resource limitations. And, towards its more efficient and credible operations, particularly in a sector already witnessing better intelligence outcomes – both artificial and human – from the modernisation of its processes. This appears cardinal to the agenda of reforms of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in onboarding more effective national policing.

It is quite unfortunate that Nigeria is one of the 10 countries that are highly impacted by crimes and violence globally, signalling the need to adopt state-of-the-art technology in countering these. More so, the security challenges have extended from local to transborder and transnational crimes; highly physical delinquencies to the more sophisticated, knowledge-based cybercrimes, requiring profound understandings and awareness of cybernetic protocols, and strong technical skills.

Therefore, as IGP Egbetokun recognises, to understand and engage with the newer levels of threat in society, there is the need to build novel Police infrastructure, intensify the capacity-building and training of officers, deepen inter-agency cooperation, in addition to engaging in inclusive policing, which is people-driven and community-centred.

In this new dawn of high-tech policing, there is as much emphasis on developing kinetic capabilities, as in equally fostering ICT competences, to enable the use of digital tools that include sophisticated software and equipment, such as drones, etc. Moreover, it is about designing the appropriate digital policies that identify and can contain the newer dimensions of crime and disorder. And equally, a transition from reactive policing to a predictive one that activates crime mapping through the study of patterns and trends.

Indices of Smart Policing

Agreeing with IGP Egbetokun on the necessity of embracing modern technology for more efficient policing is quite incontrovertible, as he has harped on in different fora – from conferences across diverse Police formations in Nigeria, to the inauguration of ICT and digital centres within some of these formations. In one such instance, he had laid out his vision of techology-driven policing, during a tour of the state-of-the-art National Command and Control Centre (C4i) facility and the Nigeria Police Crime and Incidence Database Centre (NPCIDC), located within the Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters, Abuja, last year.

Furthermore, Egbetokun has spoken extensively about leveraging technology to enhance policing capabilities, and cultivating collaborations with policing systems in more developed countries, towards exchanging intelligence and information on transnational crime, including cybercrime investigations, anti-terrorism operations, and upskilling through capacity-building/training opportunities, etc.

Importantly, for the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) to effectively carry out its remit in these times – as the IGP indicated – it requires a comprehensive technology strategy, which would be the ultimate game-changer. This would make the policing response faster and more effectual, transparent and accountable, while also becoming data-driven and better connected with communities across the country.

The utilisation of technology is essential for predictive policing that forecasts crimes, identifies hotspots and other troubling locations, while designing strategies for containing malfeasance before it happens. This comprises the enabling of data analytics that anticipate and forestall criminal activities, alongside the deployment of smart communication and coordination among officers, in addition to creating command centres for tracking incidents, and the movement of officials, etc.

In investigations and crime solving, the application of digital forensics tools is crucial in analysing evidence, whilst the use of biometrics enhances the resolution of crimes. Technology is essential to driving the efficiency of Police operations through digital record keeping, deployment of intelligent surveillance systems, and the management of patrol routes. Some of these are achievable through the utilisation of mobile apps, chatbots, etc.

On the level of community policing and engagement, social media platforms can be leveraged to engage with the public and purposed for emergency response, alongside the creation of online community portals for the reporting of crimes and access to police services.

Technology is crucial in the training and capacity building of Police officers – as reiterated above – and this can be achieved through the setting up of e-learning platforms for professional development, the use of virtual reality technology to simulate real-world scenarios in training, in addition to data analysis and interpretation for enhanced decision-making.

Also, technology enables transparency and accountability in policing through the setting up of digital compliant systems that allow the public to report police misconduct, open data initiatives to give feedback and report police misconduct, and the kitting of operations officials with body cameras that mirror their activities for better accountability.

Overall, technology not only makes policing faster, more proficient, transparent and accountable, it more so helps in tracking criminals, locating victims of crimes, potential witnesses and suspects, while equally providing corroboration for evidence, monitoring public disturbances and the surveillance of critical locations.

Deepening technology integration for Smart Policing

With the use of technology already embedded in the processes and operations of the Nigerian Police, this yet requires a deepening of its uptake, and then upscaling, towards attaining the vision of IGP Egbetokun for the ascendance of a truly smart police force. No doubt, the Nigerian Police has deployed different tools of technology to enhance its work, such as the Police Crime and Incident Database, Biometric Data Collection and the National Crime and Incident Database (NCID), for crime tracking and intelligence gathering efforts.

Also, its Surveillance and Security Systems involve CCTV monitoring and the use of drones and GPS system, whilst its Cybercrime and Digital Forensics scheme comprise a Cybercrime Unit under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC), to track online crimes and identity theft, etc. It equally has a Rescue Me app for the reporting of crimes and request for emergency assistance under its Communication and Emergency Response.

Moreover, it uses social media platforms for community engagement and has an Automated Vehicle and Traffic Management system for tracking stolen or unregistered vehicles through the Automated Plate Number Recognition, in addition to traffic surveillance cameras in major cities. The Police Force’s Digital Identity and E-Policing Initiatives have made it possible to obtain the police character certificates online, as much as it E-clearance system has offered opportunities for background checks and police clearance applications.

Yet, while much of these initiatives are laudable in their intentions and what they seek to achieve, they would require greater integration and development of capabilities to become fully operational in achieving the objectives of smart policing, and a more effective security sector. More so, there will be the necessity of stronger government funding, capacity building for the officers who will keep these technologies and systems running, coupled with greater public awareness to secure the understanding and buy-in of citizens. In addition to robust policies on privacy, data protection and human rights.

Interestingly, this appears as the appropriate moment for the entrenchment of this newer ethos, with IGP Egbetokun having mooted the necessity for weekly knowledge-sharing among officers of the Police Force, on the demands of technological advancement, creating guardrails around human rights, and enabling community policing and its ethics. It is the moment for the ultimate ascendance of smart policing.

‘Lande Fatiroti writes from Ikota, Lagos.