'AI police' improve rate of solving crime

"AI police" have significantly enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of public security operations in detecting, preventing and solving crimes in Kunshan in Suzhou city, Jiangsu province.

In many cases, the Kunshan Public Security Bureau's "Kunpeng Team" or "AI Team" has played a pivotal role.

"In the past, some activities were challenging to detect and gather evidence about," said Xu Chenbo, an officer from the team. "However, the AI police were able to promptly identify and recognize suspicious activities, effectively issued warnings and swiftly assisted in many aspects."

To tackle the challenges posed by managing a region with a population exceeding 3 million, including over 1.8 million migrants, local police selected 35 versatile officers to establish a high-quality innovation center in May, putting the dynamic and innovative Kunpeng Team into operation.

Relying on a decade's worth of accumulated data, the AI Team introduced artificial intelligence and algorithms to develop over 220 intelligent models focused on combating crime, maintaining public security and enhancing community services, effectively functioning as a group of AI police.

He Yongliang, deputy captain of the criminal investigation brigade at the Kunshan Public Security Bureau, highlighted the remarkable role of the AI police in combating telecommunications fraud.

According to He, AI police have assisted in resolving 609 cases of telecommunications fraud, recovering losses amounting to 32.4 million yuan ($4.54 million) and increasing the recovery rate by 62 percent in recent months.

With robust support from the Suzhou Public Security Bureau's criminal investigation detachment, the AI police now conduct comprehensive analysis of telecommunications fraud, operating around the clock, resulting in a more than fivefold increase in efficiency, he said.

Earlier this year, a local police station received a report of telecommunications fraud involving a victim swindled out of 980,000 yuan. The victim's statement was transmitted to the AI Team analysis center.

Within 10 minutes, the AI police traced the flow of funds, successfully halting the transfer of 500,000 yuan. Eight hours later, they traced 87 related accounts and identified 57 suspects, leading to the capture of nine suspects within three days and the recovery of 200,000 yuan for the victim.

"Previously, such a workload would require a specialized team of five to six police officers working continuously for two weeks to achieve similar results," He said.

"The integration of various investigative experiences into the AI police has significantly enhanced the efficiency of police operations, allowing even inexperienced officers to function as super investigators," he added.

The use of AI has also improved the effectiveness of combating counterfeiting and protecting intellectual property rights.

Zeng Cheng, the head of Kunshan police's high-quality innovation center, said that the integrated approach of investigation and analysis by the AI police, rather than handling cases individually, has not only saved time and effort but also yielded better results by delving deeper into the origins of crimes and conserving police resources.

Shi Weihua, vice-mayor of Kunshan and director of the Kunshan Public Security Bureau, said that the application of the AI police has paved the way for governance improvements, empowering various public security operations with big data and leading to a significant enhancement of capabilities without an increase in the police force.

Contact the writers at guojun@chinadaily.com.cn