How UVI and Eagle Technologies Groups are working together to create a safer San Jose

Jose's Eyes to fight Crime and uphold Safety!

With an increasing population, a flourishing economy, and expanding technology scene, the City of San Jose is in the midst of a period of remarkable growth. As a result, residents and businesses are drawn to the city at an unprecedented rate. To keep creating opportunities for economic development and quality of life in San Jose, we have to ensure our city remains safe and accessible for everyone. Crime has harmed us over recent years. There has been a steady increase in property crime and violent crime as well as an increase in car thefts and home invasions. Due to this unfortunate reality, Urban Vibrancy Institute (UVI) and Eagle Technologies Group (ETG) have partnered with the City of San Jose to further improve safety throughout different neighborhoods within the city. The partnership involves strategic research assignments that will help identify ways to stabilize or reduce crime rates in specified neighborhoods.

CCTV surveillance has become a ubiquitous feature of urban life in the 21st century USA. From metro coaches to shopping malls and highways, individual scenes across cities have been outfitted with cameras. The result is unprecedented awareness of the presence of surveillance cameras and their effect on personal and public behavior. CCTV surveillance is a broad term referring to the use of video cameras for security purposes. In San Jose, California, CCTV installations beyond public spaces are mostly restricted to banks (to prevent robberies), cinemas, casino hotels, hospitals, and government offices (for maintaining records and streamlining footfall). In other words, when you hear about CCTV usage in San Jose, it is usually as part of an argument against its proliferation in general rather than as an example of why it should be limited in specific.

What is Urban Vibrancy Institute?

Urban Vibrancy Institute (UVI) is a research and consulting firm located in San Jose, California. Founded in 2012, Urban Vibrancy Institute is a 501(c) (3) non-profit research and consulting organization. UVI's mission is to help leaders, organizations, and communities thrive by conducting rigorous research and providing timely and actionable data and insights to inform strategic decision-making. While specializing in research that explores the cultural, economic, and social vibrancy of cities, UVI also conducts research that relates to higher education, philanthropy, and governance. UVI partners with a variety of organizations and government agencies that are driven to improve their operations, increase their impact, and expand their capacity.

Eagle Technologies Group

Eagle Technologies Group (ETG) is a San Jose-based consulting group that provides services that help clients improve their effectiveness and performance in business operations, human resource management, operational excellence, and organizational change. ETG specializes in industry-focused research and analysis, including strategy, operations, and organizational management change. In addition, the company works with clients to design and implement custom research methodologies. Founded in 1992, ETG has provided services to public and private sector organizations as well as academic institutions.

Smart City = Smarter Surveillance?

As cities grow, they develop new and more sophisticated ways to collect data about their residents. One increasingly popular way is to use sensors to collect data about residents' behavior. It could be the power of a person's movement to create detailed maps of their daily life or the sound they make while walking to pinpoint their location. Such data is often collected through sensors placed in public spaces that are connected to the city's computer system. Some cities are now using this data to create even more sophisticated models of residents' behavior. Using the data about people's movement as a city could be configurative to automatically control its traffic lights based on how busy the streets are. It could potentially lead to more efficient use of limited city resources and lower greenhouse gas emissions from cars. More advanced models of residents' behavior could give the city even more insight into residents' life. Urban Vibrancy Institute is collaborating with Eagle Technologies Groups to install CCTVs throughout downtown San Jose, California, to reduce robberies and other violence. This initiative by Urban Vibrancy Institute is the most appreciative cause for the people of San Jose and also a step toward futuristic living.

What are the benefits of CCTV?

The primary benefit of CCTV is the protection of a place or an asset from theft or vandalism. The cameras and technology used for security are not limited to just monitoring public places.

They can also be used in businesses, homes, and car lots. In the surveillance society we live in, security cameras are everywhere. If a place has a lot of cash or other assets, it's not uncommon for those who work there to wear body cameras too. A CCTV system can also be used to prevent or solve other crimes. For example, an incident of employee theft could be solved by collecting video evidence to use in prosecuting the individual. It can also assist in finding lost objects, animals, and people.

The Problem: Instilling trust in our communities

As UVI and ETG began conducting research and surveys in San Jose neighborhoods, they found a discrepancy between residents' perceptions of safety in their community and the actual crime data. The lack of trust and partnership with law enforcement is a challenge that is addressable to improve the safety and vibrancy of our city. UVI and ETG are working with the San Jose Police Department (SJPD) and other city leaders to identify what is working effectively and what can be improvable in the community-police partnership. Through research and analysis, UVI and ETG aim to understand the varying perspectives between community and law enforcement leaders to find areas of agreement and disagreement. With the help of residents, UVI and ETG believe that the city can instill trust and create a safe environment where people can live, work and play.

How can we make San Jose a safer city?

UVI solution begins with gathering and analyzing data to identify crime trends, neighborhood concerns, and areas of opportunity in the community-police partnership. The team will continue to work with law enforcement and other city leaders to implement strategies that improve communication and trust between residents and police.

Conclusion

UVI and ETG hope to help make San Jose a safer city by providing data-driven insights and recommendations that will help improve communication and trust between law enforcement and residents. Together, the team will work to identify crime trends, neighborhood concerns, and areas of opportunity in the community-police partnership to help city leaders make strategic decisions that instill trust and improve safety in San Jose neighborhoods.

And I would like to add that it is our collaborative effort that makes the real change in society. We will be the key holders that can unlock the true potential of this initiative and turn it into the