No matter where you live in the world, there is an expectation that the government will uphold your fundamental rights to safety and security. Law enforcement, emergency responders, security forces – there is an umbrella of institutions designed to safeguard every member of society.
But in an age where digitalisation has created new risks as well as new tools for forging more connected societies, the public can play a greater role in safeguarding itself. With a smartphone in your hand, you might help the police by recording a criminal incident, or direct emergency response crews to a person in need of assistance. There are countless ways that ordinary people can help make their community safer.
Equally, digitalisation now allows the public to better educate, inform and protect itself against all manner of threats. Individuals can provide themselves with basic awareness of risks ranging from cybercrime to impending natural disasters.
Make the public part of Emergency Preparedness Policies
Emergency responders are under constant pressure to serve and protect the public from all manner of daily threats. However, when major disasters occur – natural or manmade – their resources are often spread too thin to guide every single person in the vicinity to safety.
This is where public awareness and preparedness can really pay off. If large concentrations of people are ready to react to emergency scenarios with collective calm and a well-considered personal plan for achieving safety, it can save lives while relieving the pressure on emergency services.
Exemplar: Taiwan
Taiwan is prone to small and large-magnitude earthquakes, as it sits near the intersection of three tectonic plates in the world’s most seismically active region, known as the “ring of fire”. After suffering devastating quakes in the late 90s and early 2000s, the island nation has substantially improved its emergency preparedness drills, actively encouraging public participation.
All adult citizens are expected to familiarise themselves with Taiwan’s earthquake early warning system notifications and drills, including personal preparedness where families and individuals scout out their closest safe spots, emergency bunkers and the best routes to reach them. This culture of emergency preparedness is backed with well-resourced public education initiatives and awareness campaigns.
Encourage personal cybersecurity
Cybercrime is a threat that can strike anywhere from the largest multinational company to the everyday individual. While the average cost of a data breach in 2024 is $4.88 million according to IBM, individuals routinely face personal losses of hundreds or thousands of dollars if they fall victim to cybercriminals.
With so much of our lives being lived online, practising good “digital hygiene” in the form of basic cybersecurity awareness is fast becoming a prerequisite for a safe, secure lifestyle.
In its most recent Global Threat Report, global cybersecurity leader CrowdStrike outlined how cybercriminals are moving away from malware-based attacks and instead are favouring identity attacks, such as phishing or social engineering methods, to get targets to lead the hackers past their digital security. Awareness of these emerging threats, as well as basic understanding of how to avoid them, can prevent devastating personal losses before they occur.
Exemplar: UAE
The United Arab Emirates has consistently been proactive in mapping and countering the rising global tide of cybercrime. Public awareness is an ingrained part of the country’s national cybersecurity strategy, and relevant agencies (police forces, schools, law enforcement arms, etc) continue to look for ways to engage with people in a collaborative manner.
Earlier this year, the UAE Cybersecurity Council launched The National Campaign for Cybersecurity, a new campaign designed to boost public awareness and teach basic safety protocols for avoiding common forms of cyberattacks. All members of society are warned to:
- Educate themselves on cybersecurity basics, via the campaign’s weekly sessions which offer accessible guidance on the importance of creating strong passwords, updating applications, identifying suspicious activities and more.
- Be vigilant in all online interactions, and never give personal information away to non-trusted sources.
- Find the best security tools and platforms suitable for their personal budget and online presence. The campaign highlights a wide range of free cybersecurity tools as well as offering guidance on how to find trusted, respected vendors.
- Embrace a daily culture of cybersecurity, where every member of society collective agrees to practising safe and secure digital conduct, helping to raise awareness while countering the threat of cybercrime.
Develop Public/Police Cooperation Initiatives
When there’s a fire or a medical emergency, people expect firefighters or paramedics to turn up and help. Both are simple emergency response scenarios. However, policing often involves much more complicated, culturally nuanced dynamics. For many countries across the world, this complexity can lead to issues of trust between the public and the police officers sworn to protect them.
Countries which do enjoy high levels of public trust in the police are invariably those that have invested time, effort and resources to bridge the gap between both sides and forge closer cooperative links.
If done correctly, such ties can make a city, a region or even a whole country significantly safer. If the public instinctively believes that its police force is there to protect them, they are far more likely to make personal efforts to improve communal safety by supporting the police.
Exemplar: Denmark
Consistently recognised and respected for its approach to fair, transparent law enforcement, Denmark currently enjoys the highest level of “public trust in police” of any country. In 2022, 58% of Denmark’s population defined the police as “trustworthy”, while in 87% said they were confident the police would help them if they needed it.
Denmark has achieved this level of public trust by focusing on what the public needs as much as what the police need. Police academy training in Denmark is thorough at 43 months for each officer, and includes lengthy instruction in public communication and interactions. Danish police officers are trained to use restraint, and it’s a culture that has stuck.
Moreover, there are frequent, renewed efforts to bring the public and police closer together via public education programmes, establishing community liaison officers and creating channels for clear, transparent and protected communications.
The public can play its part in providing safety and security
Feeling safe and secure is an inalienable human right, but protecting it requires a monumental, communal effort. No police force, healthcare service or other security apparatus can be so well trained and resourced that it is capable of proactively countering every single threat to public safety.
The broader public have always had a role to play in supporting safety and security at the individual, community, and national level. However, this role has the potential to become more effective, without necessarily formalising it too much.
With intelligent policies and encouragement coming from a committed government source, the public can become better equipped to practise personal safety online and in the physical world, prepare for disaster scenarios, and cooperate with emergency services in providing better, fairer protection for all.