12 Nov Estonian Police look to EU research projects to enhance community safety and border security
Estonia’s Police and Border Guard face a unique set of challenges, protecting its communities and securing a border that is also the external border of the European Union; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Hannes Järvine, Strategy Bureau Project Manager in the Board’s Development Department, about the responsibilities of keeping Estonian citizens safe and borders secure, and how collaborative research and innovation are helping to enhance the service’s operational capabilities.
What is the role and function of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board?
The functions, rights and responsibilities of the Estonian Police and Border Guard are imposed by the Police and Border Guard Act and the institution’s statute. Our main functions are related to preserving law and order, investigating and preventing crimes and misdemeanours, guarding the border, rescue at sea, determining the grounds and status for people staying in Estonia, and issuing identity documents.
“Each year, we investigate 26,000 crimes, at any given moment we are guarding 338 kilometres of eastern border, which is also the external border of the European Union.”
Almost 5,000 people work for the Police and Border Guard Board every day to ensure that Estonia is a safe place to live, work and visit. Our mission is to create security through co-operation. We work to ensure that all people feel safe and secure in Estonia, can study, pursue self-betterment, and make Estonia a secure environment for developing economy and culture.
Each year, we investigate 26,000 crimes and conduct proceedings on 130,000 other offences. We issue half a million identity documents every year, and at any given moment we are guarding 338 kilometres of eastern border, which is also the external border of the European Union.
The Estonian Police and Border Guard are a partner in the NOTIONES project; what is your role within this programme?
We are actively contributing to testing new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and cybersecurity tools, which are developed within the area of responsibility, keeping in mind the tasks of law enforcement agencies and border control.
One of our roles in the NOTIONES project is testing these solutions, contributing to the development process and sharing relevant experience with the partners across Europe.
Additionally, we are providing input into the legal and ethical aspects of AI-based initiatives. This ensures that innovations comply with the national and EU laws, particularly with respect to privacy, data protection, and human rights.
What activities of the NOTIONES project are you currently progressing?
We are actively participating in working groups by providing a practitioners’ experience and opinion. There is a team of experts who are involved in the project activities and who are capable of contributing with their skills and knowledge.
For instance, they carried out active research in order to designate the scope of tools which could meet specific operational requirements of law enforcement agencies, and later the results were shared with the interested parties.
How will your engagement in the NOTIONES project support policing and security in Estonia?
“We are improving our technological competence in order to enhance the ability to track criminal activities and respond to both conventional and cyber-enabled threats more effectively.”
By participating in NOTIONES, we benefit from the co-operation with other partners regarding the development of technology solutions, including the areas of data analysis and artificial intelligence.
We are improving our technological competence in order to enhance the ability to track criminal activities and respond to both conventional and cyber-enabled threats more effectively.
We are looking forward to improving analysis and decision-making, automating threat detection, offering predictive analytics to pre-empt criminal activities, and overall, to raising the level of efficiency of law enforcement operations in Estonia and across Europe.
How does the Estonian Police and Border Guard benefit from taking part in European security research and innovation projects?
Participation in European security research and innovation projects offers a great range of possibilities for us, including access to newly developed technological solutions, best practices for improving operational efficiency, and capacity building with foreign partners through co-operation on an international level.
The NOTIONES project offers a range of possibilities for us to test and implement new technologies in a real-world setting and conduct assessments if the technologies meet the requirements imposed by legislation before they are widely adopted.
This allows us to adapt these technologies to meet our specific needs and to also ensure that they are compliant with EU regulations and legal frameworks. We are also actively contributing to various European research and innovation projects beyond NOTIONES; the participation in these projects is aligned with our vision of enhancing national security, improving law enforcement capabilities and strengthening border management.
As an active member of these European initiatives, we not only acquire access to advanced tools and valuable knowledge, but can also play a significant role in forming the future of European security.
The role of these projects is extremely important for us as they address emerging threats, enhance co-operation, and provide long-term strategic benefits to participating law enforcement agencies across Europe.
How did you become engaged in police research and innovation activity, and what experience do you bring to the NOTIONES project?
First of all, it is a great opportunity to enhance personal and institutional competence. Participation in research and innovation activities plays a vital role in facilitating knowledge and practices on the national and international level.
The experts assigned to the participation in the project can share valuable expertise in law enforcement, research methodologies, technology and policy development, as well as crisis management experience in order to support the successful delivery of the project.
“It is very important to involve full time working law enforcement officers and other end users in the project from the beginning.”
The experts assigned to the participation in the project can share valuable expertise in law enforcement, research methodologies, technology and policy development, as well as crisis management experience in order to support the successful delivery of the project.
What advice would you give to other law enforcement agencies seeking to engage in European security research and innovation?
There is no doubt that participation of law enforcement agencies in research initiatives can greatly enhance the operational capabilities and effectively contribute to the process of providing public safety.
Hannes Järvine, Strategy Bureau Project
One should keep in mind that engagement in the European security research and innovation projects requires a proactive and strategic approach by identifying the institutional needs and creating a proper environment for innovation.
It is very important to involve full time working law enforcement officers and other end users in the project from the beginning. The insights, experience and operational needs of people from the ‘frontline’ can provide additional value to the identification of the research questions, methodologies and development strategies.
Link to article in Policing Insight: https://policinginsight.com/feature/interview/estonia-police-look-to-eu-research-projects-to-enhance-community-safety-and-border-security/