Smart-city technologies effect on crime and emergencies.

The effect of smart-city applications could affect various dimensions of life and thereby attract investors from various industries. While research suggests a wide range of outcomes, this is due to mostly varying application performance from city to city. Factors such as existing infrastructure systems might limit the potential impact of a technology. One of the expected uses focuses on crime, where agencies, for example, could use advanced data to deploy city resources and personnel in a more efficient manner. An early version of this idea, Real-time crime mapping, uses statistical analysis to highlight criminal patterns. In such applications, predictive policing is the goal. In instances where a crime has occurred city applications such as gunshot detection, advanced surveillance, and smart home security systems can be utilized to accelerate law-enforcement response. Going forward, this use of data might run into legislative issues.

From a perspective of citizens that might fall victim to crime, seconds matter. Advanced city technologies lever first responders in getting to the scene of emergencies. The use of smart systems can be engaged through strategic placement of resources such as call centers and field operations, or the use of traffic-signal preemption could drastically increase the efficiency of emergency vehicles. Research estimates that full implementation of existing applications types can cause emergency response times to be cut around thirty percent.

Keith Knutsson of Integrale Advisors commented, “For investors, especially those experienced in emerging technologies or real estate, the idea of smart city infrastructure is really exciting. Cities plagued with crime or other issues might see a light sooner or later.”