TIRANA, July 16 /ATA/ Prime Minister Edi Rama said today that the “Smart City” project marks a new historic phase in the state’s efforts to take public security management to another level through the use of artificial intelligence.
Speaking during a visit to the “Smart City” project’s Command and Control Centre, Rama said that despite the challenges, the project has now entered an operational phase and will continue until it is fully rolled out across the country.
“With this project, we ensure that many of the issues we have so far monitored solely through human observation and resources will also be tracked with the support of artificial intelligence — not only in schools, but across the country’s roads and communities,” he added.
According to the prime minister, the entire project has been designed so that the system can provide real-time alerts about potential risks.
“If a knife is pulled out in any public space — not only in schools but also on the streets — the system immediately alerts the monitoring centre. The situation may be entirely harmless, but it could also represent a potential threat. Similarly, if a wanted individual attempts to evade capture, the system significantly reduces the chances that, when responding, the Police will not know where to focus their efforts,” Rama said.
Rama also said that incidents involving vehicles used in criminal activities and later found burned several kilometres away from the scene would no longer be possible, as the system can identify and track a vehicle before it comes to a stop and provide information on its location.
Rama added that the practice of police officers pulling over vehicles for roadside checks — which he said could sometimes result in improper exchanges between officers and drivers — would no longer occur, as the system immediately alerts the centre when a vehicle with unpaid obligations enters the road.”
The prime minister said the system will also be complemented by another component: body-worn cameras.
“Work is already underway, and the body cameras will be connected to the command centre, making any misuse or manipulation virtually impossible. This will also provide a systemic solution to the issue of ethical conduct between police officers and citizens, whether during roadside interactions or in public spaces. It does not mean that misconduct will disappear entirely, as no country has achieved such a thing, but prevention will increase significantly, risks will be reduced significantly, and the detection of violations will become far more effective,” Rama said.
Rama also expressed confidence that “within the next 12 months, the entire territory of Albania will be connected to a live monitoring system, enabling highly intelligent management of public security, order and safety. This will give citizens a powerful tool they have never had before, as we will also work to integrate the former Digital Commissariat platform with the new system.”
“We will work to ensure that citizens have their own inbox within the system, allowing it to verify their concerns in real time — whether related to illegal parking, unauthorised interventions or other issues. Naturally, the system will be deployed on main roads, in strategic community areas and wherever the public interest is high enough to justify placing it at the service of citizens,” Rama said.
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