PETALING JAYA: The use of artificial intelligence (AI) by law enforcement agencies is rapidly gaining traction globally in efforts to improve public safety and well-being.
In Thailand, AI-enabled cameras have been installed to read licence plates of vehicles found violating traffic laws.
The vehicles found to have broken the law will be photographed with a time stamp as evidence.
The data will then be forwarded to the relevant agencies to pursue legal action.
Neighbouring Singapore is looking to harness AI technology to autonomously disrupt scams and malicious cyberactivities.
Authorities there are also turning to AI to develop new tools to detect new synthetic drugs.
Furthermore, it is looking to use generative AI to identify scams and improve law enforcement efforts.
Over in Japan, AI is used to monitor crime-prevention patrols by local governments.
Officers would enter variables like the final destination, transit areas and distance in a dedicated mobile app.
The system will then present a route that prioritises passage through areas with a high crime probability.
In addition, Japan has deployed AI-powered drones in areas hit by natural disasters to curb the problem of looters stealing from evacuated homes, shops and other buildings.
It also introduced AI technology to identify social media content where people are recruited to commit crimes like robbery and fraud.
Last year, it was reported that the Avon and Somerset Police in the United Kingdom are testing AI technology which can identify potential leads that may not have been found manually.
The tool can analyse video footage, financial transactions, social media, emails and other documents simultaneously.
An evaluation showed it was able to review the evidential material in 27 complex cases in just 30 hours.
The Metropolitan Police Service, meanwhile, integrates AI through facial recognition technology to prevent and detect crime, look for wanted suspects and safeguard the public and vulnerable groups.
However, some parties have raised concerns over the accuracy of the technology, its impact on civil liberties and whether it is an effective use of police resources.
The International Criminal Police Organisation together with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute has also developed an AI toolkit aimed at offering support to law enforcement agencies to use AI responsibly.
The development received financial support from the European Union.
The toolkit provides law enforcement agencies with a theoretical responsible AI foundation based on human rights laws, ethics and policing principles, alongside practical tools.
In Malaysia, the use of AI to assist commercial crime investigations, including analysis of statements, is expected to expedite the process.
“For example, a chatbot can be used to go through statements from several witnesses and quickly identify the gist of it, as well as a possible link between them.
“The result of the AI analysis can be used to question the suspects further,” said the recently retired Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf in an interview.
Comm Ramli, who represented the police force to speak about AI at the United Nations Chief of Police Summit in New York last year, said AI assistance is expected to speed up investigation between 40% and 60%.
“The same technology can also be used to process documents such as financial documents.
“Manually, it can be a tedious process but with AI, it will be able to zero in on the materials most relevant to the case or an investigation,” he said.
Comm Ramli also said the police could not afford to lag behind especially when dealing with cybercriminals, who make use of advanced technology.
“If we hesitate, then we will be left behind given the speed at which the technology is evolving,” he said.
As of March 16 , the police have opened 11,616 commercial crime cases, involving RM655.35mil in losses.
Comm Ramli, who has long been a proponent of incorporating AI in law enforcement, said the CCID has to evolve with the times.
“AI is a revolution and we are living in such a revolution,” he said, adding that the department would need to deal with AI-related issues and crimes especially in terms of disinformation and deepfakes.
