Protecting Australian communities with intelligent automation

In 2025, Australia is a place where violent crime, disorder and civil unrest are uncommon occurrences. That’s in no small part due to the dedication of our nation’s law enforcement bodies.

From the Australian Border Force to state and federal police services, we’re fortunate to be able to rely on the services of dedicated, well-trained men and women whose job is to protect communities and citizens from a range of risks.

Technology is available for law enforcement agencies to efficiently protect Australian communities without the need for a heavy recruitment drive. Simply put: AI serves as the tool, intelligent automation as the solution. Intelligent automation (IA), using machine learning like generative AI and natural language processing, helps systems suggest ways to analyse data or actions to take based on existing data and usage patterns.

A growing challenge for local law enforcement

But as our towns and cities continue to grow — between June 1993 and June 2023, the population rose from 17.6 million to 26.6 million, and it’s projected to hit 30 million when 2029 — the demands on our law enforcement agencies will continue to expand apace.¹

Whether it’s monitoring greater volumes of traffic, dealing with a higher volume of international arrivals and departures or managing more frequent and larger events — from international sporting extravaganzas such as the upcoming Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games through to public marches and protests. Maintaining the capacity to keep citizens safe will be a perpetual challenge, both financially and operationally.

Putting more boots on the ground is one option but it may not necessarily be a sustainable alternative. Hiring and training a large volume of additional personnel without compromising on recruiting standards can pose a logistical challenge. And, for cash-strapped states and territories, it won’t necessarily be a financially viable course of action either.

Embracing IT-powered solutions to aid enforcement efforts

The increased uptake of intelligent automation in physical security solutions may prove a more effective use of finite resources. Many law enforcement bodies, at home and globally, are going down this route, harnessing the power of transformative tools and technologies to augment the work of their officers in the field and at headquarters.

An agency might use analytics, for example, to comb through hundreds of hours of video footage to pinpoint whether and when a particular vehicle was in a certain location. IA’s ability to recognise registration plates can help advance crime investigations and shave tens of thousands of dollars off their cost.

Managing traffic flow and crowd control at major events can be an easier proposition if control rooms are able to draw on intelligent monitoring systems to detect bank-ups, automatically re-route traffic, change signage and advise officers of emerging issues.

Meanwhile, agencies charged with managing critical infrastructure facilities, from ports and airports to detention and correctional centres, can utilise technology to help secure perimeters, detect goods being smuggled in or out and identify weapon threats and other critical safety risks.

Intelligent automation’s role is to support human judgment, intuition, and decision-making skills, which are crucial in many security scenarios — but it can also automate repetitive and mundane tasks. Doing so allows personnel to focus on more complex and strategic priorities and activities.

Seeing the big picture

The benefits of city-wide, IA-powered surveillance systems can be amplified if the digital data they collect can be aggregated.

That’s where unified security technology plays a critical part. Having a unified security platform in place, which consolidates data from a host of different sources, can provide law enforcement agencies with a bird’s eye view of their jurisdictions.

It can also facilitate open communication between agencies and institutions and generate insights that enable them to identify security vulnerabilities and scenario plan for a range of incidents, from natural disasters to terror attacks.

Keeping Australian communities safe today and tomorrow

High-functioning law enforcement bodies are the cornerstone of every safe society. As Australia’s population and cities continue to expand, equipping state and federal agencies with tools that enable them to operate efficiently and effectively will be a pressing imperative.

Intelligent automation continues to evolve at an extraordinary speed, and utilising unified security technology to better harness its power will be integral to the business of protecting communities. 1. Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018, Australia's population to reach 30 million in 11 to 15 years, <<https://www.abs.gov.au/articles/australias-population-reach-30-million-11-15-years>>

Top image credit: iStock.com/zetter