EFUS Web Conferences on Innovation in Urban Security
In 2018, Efus set up a working group on Security & Innovation that seeks to harness the opportunities of smart and hyper connected cities to improve crime prevention and urban security. The purpose is to share reflections and insights on innovative social strategies and technologies that can be applied to urban security. We consider that innovation includes not only technological tools but also social ones. We understand innovation in urban security as new solutions and new ways of approaching existing and emerging problems. These tools can aim to facilitate the understanding of problems, the definition of solutions, and the implementation and evaluation of interventions. At their core, the innovations are about shifting towards a co-production of urban security policies, both in their development and in their implementation. We will continue to deepen our knowledge on the topics already discussed, such as predictive policing, civic technology and facial recognition. At the same time we want to open the conversation to include new aspects of innovative strategies in urban security.
Efus is excited to start a second series of web conferences that will cover both technological and social innovations in the realm of urban security, as well as those that combine the two. The Cutting Crime Impact (CCI) Project, in which Efus is a partner, aims to enable police and relevant local and national authorities to reduce the impact of petty crime and, where possible, prevent crime from occurring in the first place. The idea is to support local security actors in conceiving human-centred solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of the end-user. The research and findings of this project greatly nourished the first series of web conferences of our working group. In this second series, we will not only integrate aspects of the project’s focus areas but also elements of its methodology to illustrate how innovative working methods can be applied in practice.
On January 22nd 2021, we will explore the use of drones in cities. What are the existing use cases in Europe? Can they be considered a tool to mitigate petty crime? What are their advantages and their risks?
Learn more about the other 2 webinars and register HERE and HERE.
The objective of the working group continues to be the provision of information on new methodologies, tools and experiences that are tailored to the changing security needs of our members. We are looking forward to welcoming you again to our web conferences and on Efus Network to continue discussing old and new topics.