Singapore Police Force officers patrol with a police robot at Changi Airport. — AFP
The idea that advanced technology could be used by the police for crime prevention is no longer just the stuff of science fiction.
According to police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, the law enforcement agency is exploring the use of robots to boost its presence in Kuala Lumpur.
“I think it’s high time that the police engaged technology, even basic technology, to facilitate policing and the community,” KL city police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said in a report.
As members of the public have probably seen robots being used in the service industry, Comm Mohd Shuhaily believes that it won’t take long for people to get accustomed to them.
“Perhaps we can install community elements into it. It’s not such a sophisticated thing because nowadays you see robots being used at nasi kandar restaurants too,” he said, referring to robot servers in places like the Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar.
In 2021, the restaurant introduced robotic servers as a contactless service measure to mitigate the transmission of Covid-19.
According to Comm Mohd Shuhaily, the city’s Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department head, Senior Asst Comm Beh Eng Lai, had recently visited a robotic factory.
“It will also have to function appropriately according to the context and location.
“The robots stationed at a mall will have to act differently from those at housing estates or airports, and all these have to be taken into consideration,” he added.
Last month, AFP reported that Singapore will progressively deploy more patrol robots across the island after conducting a five-year-long trial.
Robots were deployed at Changi Airport in April to assist frontline police officers with premise patrol.
They are equipped with cameras, sensors, speakers, display panels, blinkers and a siren.
It was reported that for a country like Singapore with a small population and low birth rate, the robots will help overcome manpower-related issues.
In February, the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, unveiled plans to integrate body-worn cameras into our country’s police operations.
He said RM30mil has been allocated to acquire body-worn cameras, which will be fitted on officers across 157 district police headquarters nationwide. Approximately 7,000 cameras will be acquired at a cost of between RM2,000 and RM2,500 each early next year.
In the United States, body cameras are used by law enforcement agencies to record their interactions with the public and to gather information, such as video evidence, at crime scenes.
The police departments have also started looking into integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technology into the cameras.
According to a CBS report, police hope to ease the process of going through thousands of hours of body cam footage through AI.
A company called Truelo is spearheading the efforts to build the software to provide automated review and analysis of body camera footage.
To improve traffic law enforcement, the digital in-car radar and Intelligent Compound Online Payment System (iCOPS) were implemented in 2015 for road safety operations.
Traffic police started using iCOPS as far back as 2017. — The Star
iCOPS, which relies on Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to look out for traffic users with outstanding summonses, arrest warrants and other offences, is fitted onto more than 40 police vehicles nationwide.
The digital in-car radar, on the other hand, is used to detect vehicles going over the speed limit.
Last year, the police used the digital in-car radar and iCOPS for the first time during the Chinese New Year holiday period on the highway and expressway.
