Fighting crime with technology

VILLAJOYOSA’S Policia Local was the only police force invited to attend the AlicanTIC 2021 event in Alicante City.
Organised by the Valencian Community’s Official College of Telecommunications Engineers, the event brought together leaders and innovators in the technology field.
The town’s Policia Local force, invited on the strength of its commitment to using technology during investigations and for training, was represented by several officers and Public Safety and Traffic councillor Isabel Perona.
Carolina Pascual, who heads the regional government’s Innovation department and gave the seminar’s closing speech, wanted to know more about the way the Policia Local used technology in their work.
The Villajoyosa delegation explained how using drones simplified surveillance tasks, and told Pascual that the force now belongs to Spain’s Cyber Crime Observatory so that officers can assist victims of gender violence who are protected under the Viogen programme.
Villajoyosa officers also use an OCTOPUS virtual reality room in collaboration with a specialist company for instruction and training sessions.
“All these innovations have put La Vila’s police at the forefront in the use of technology for public safety while setting an example for other police forces,” Perona said.