Recommended Technology Management of Smart Policing Robocops for AI Ethics and Cybersecurity

Abstract

The videotaped murders of George Floyd and Tyre Nichols in the United States have raised awareness worldwide of police misconduct. Police and citizens now distrust and fear each other because of the prevalence of instances of police brutality. Numerous incidents of police brutality indicate that policing requires a radical redesign that takes human rights into account. There is a greater need for smart policing technology management research as a result of new, increasingly ubiquitous technologies. Robotics and surveillance cameras are examples of smart policing. In several jurisdictions worldwide, currently robocops are on patrol and some can be armed, e.g., the recent approval for use in San Francisco. Given its perceived inherit technical objectivity, well managed smart technology has the potential to improve policing and ethical outcomes. With adequate technology management, smart policing can potentially alleviate law enforcement racial bias and abuse. This critically appraised topic study finds that there are few studies that address this issue. The defund the police movement calls for the reallocation of funds toward community services and community policing. In 2021, there was also a call for the US Congress to approve the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This research revealed that there are few studies that tackle this problem. With this critically appraised topic literature review, we make seven (7) recommendations on how resources can be effectively spent toward efficient law enforcement that leads to long overdue police reform using smart policing robocops.