Modern-day policing, just like many other domains, is highly facilitated by the use of information technology as one of the major tools to counter contemporary crimes.
In fact, technological advancement over the years have provided law enforcement agencies with new perspectives and considerations beyond the traditional methods and opportunities to utilize a wide range of innovations in varied contexts.
Today, technology has become intrinsic to society and seems to be a natural component of people’s personal lives. On the other hand, criminal behaviors have changed parallel to these technological developments. Criminals have started to use technological tools when committing crimes.
This has prompted law enforcers to be at the best of their performance deploying the most sophisticated technologies to ensure that they are always a step ahead of the offenders.
The recent innovations and strategies that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of policing including network analysis, Geographical Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), crime mapping, biometrics, fingerprints, DNA research, facial recognition, social media policing and CCTV are part of what Rwanda National Police (RNP) has integrated in its policing approaches to deal with contemporary crimes.
RNP has heavily invested in its e-policing systems, IT infrastructures and training of personnel to be IT literate as means and ways to facilitate prevention, detection and investigations of all sorts of crimes.
According to Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Elie Mberabagabo, Commissioner for Communication and Information System (CIS) in RNP, in the current world, all most all crimes have a link to technology.
“CIS started as a section back in the year 2000, but as the world evolved and crime trends changing, RNP decided to expand it into a fully-fledged department that is well-equipped to global standard, adopt modern and advanced technologies so as to remain relevant and ahead of criminals,” said CSP Mberabagabo.
Today, RNP’s CIS Department runs five directorates; Information Technology, Technical Support, Communications, Command and Coordination Center as well as Cyber Security Deployment.
With over 100 engineers and technicians, RNP’s CIS department has the latest and authentic globally accepted softwares in its digital forensic laboratory, says CSP Mberabagabo.
Digital forensics laboratory encompasses the recovery and investigation of material found in digital devices, often in relation to cyber crimes.
“Considering that most of the crimes today have a link to technology, we offer technical support to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID); we have the ability and the capacity to conduct an in-depth digital analysis in a manner that we can extract data from any device and open encrypted backup and images. We can also decrypt malwares to know the attacker on any device,” CSP Mberabagabo explained.
“We also use both private and public CCTVs deployed in different places to retrieval necessary for scientific investigations and this helps us have eyes in various places at the same time. Internally, we have a highly encrypted communication system that can’t be hacked,” CSP Mberabagabo said.
He went on to say that, with the enormous advances in technology and telecommunication industries, new modes of communication, transactions and computers being used in almost all walks of life, police has a mandate to ensure the best means to provide safety and protection to IT users.
In detailing how RNP’s e-policing systems are rolled out, CSP Mberabagabo pointed at the use of Interpol’s – I-24/7 communication system that is deployed at all border posts and the airport.
The hi-tech communication system is also shared with the Rwanda Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration and Rwanda Revenue Authority’s customs department.
With I-24/7 that connects all law enforcement agencies from 190 Interpol member countries, several red notices have been issued digitally and shared world over; this has resulted into the arrest of criminals and intercepted different stolen vehicles.
Interpol Rwanda has forinstance issued about 300 Red Notices alerting the world about wanted fugitives – 17 were arrested and tried in countries where they were, about 75 others were tracked, arrested and handed over to International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha during its mandate and 13 were extradited from other countries to Rwanda.
CSP Mberabagabo believes such instant hi-tech communication internationally has made detection, investigations and bringing criminals to justice easy .
On the local arena, Police have deployed several technologies ranging from its internal systems to the services offered to the public.
Among these services include the Motor Vehicle Inspection directorate that uses high-tech software to inspect critical areas of motor vehicles which include wheel balance and alignment, suspensions, brakes, axle play, and headlights among others.
Driving license registration and production processes are also done digital which makes it hard for duplication or forgery and expedites services.
Still in ensuring delivery of services to the public using technology, police runs series of toll-free lines. It is on social media platforms; has online crime reporting, reporting missing persons or any citizen complaint embedded in the RNP web page – www.police.gov.rw.
RNP has nine separate hotlines; Maritime 110, Gender Based Violence 3512, abuse by Police officer 3511, traffic accidents 113, emergency 112, Fire Brigade 111, Anti-Corruption 997, Child Help Line 116 and Isange 3029.
“Through these communication channels, the public can reach out to the police instantly and also get immediate feedback or response. It brings us closer to the people.”
He went on to say that individual and big corporations are benefiting from RNP’s digital support systems but urged them to “exploit them more.”
Future plans
He explained that RNP continues to adopt and employ latest advanced technologies to stay ahead of criminals.
“We are currently working on a project to expand our CCTVs deployment to an extent that we will have high definition camera in major hot spots of big cities for public order and road safety. We are also coming up with a Traffic and Road safety digital system that will be highly sophisticated in nature but make road users more comfortable,” CSP Mberabagabo disclosed.
The Traffic and Road safety digital system will include a numbers of services like; e-ticketing to traffic offenders, vehicle tracking among others.
RNP also intends to conduct the driver’s licence tests electronically in different centres that will be established in different parts of the country.
CSP Mberabagabo noted that since, organized crime has entered the cyberspace; the public should know that RNP is equipped to make them safer and bring criminals to justice.
He however pointed out that cyber-related crimes are relatively a new phenomenon in Rwanda and RNP is very much aware of its existence.
“But we have to be prepared early enough… we call upon the public to always be quick to report a cybercrime for timely response, recovery of stolen items and arrest the culprits.”
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