Rising Crime Rates Fuel Growth in Surveillance and Forensic Technologies

Approximately 83% of the world's population currently lives in high-crime areas due to the alarming surge in organized crime that has occurred recently. The number of persons living in locations with low resilience to organized crime has dramatically fallen to 62% from 79.4% in 2021, however, indicating a positive trend. Even while resistance has improved, there is still a significant need for all-encompassing methods to address the urgent problem of organized crime, as seen by the widening gap between the effectiveness of international responses and organized crime.

Crime rates in 2024

Unintentionally, increased criminal activity has expanded markets for security technologies, especially forensic and video surveillance. Governments and corporations increasingly invest in sophisticated surveillance technologies to discourage illegal activity. The need for advanced technologies for criminal investigations, such as ballistic analysis, digital forensics, and DNA analysis, is propelling the forensic technology market's notable expansion. These technologies advance public safety by improving law enforcement's capacity to solve crimes quickly.

With nations placing a higher priority on public safety and efficient crime resolution, the forensic technology industry is expected to grow significantly worldwide. The rise in international crime rates, a complicated problem influenced by social, political, technological, and economic variables, drives this demand. All-encompassing approaches incorporating technological innovations and preventive actions are needed to tackle these issues.

Not all countries are equally affected by crime. As of 2024, the nations with the highest crime indices include Myanmar, with a score of 8.15, followed by Colombia at 7.75, and Mexico at 7.57. Paraguay (7.52), the Republic of Congo (7.35), Nigeria (7.28), and South Africa (7.18) also rank high in criminal activity. Iraq and Afghanistan have a crime index of 7.13 and 7.10, respectively, while Lebanon shares a similar score of 7.10.

On the other hand, some of the world's safest nations have the lowest crime indices. Iceland is the safest country in the world, topping the list with a crime index of just 1.11. Low crime rates are also a feature of other countries, such as Austria (1.30), Denmark (1.30), Ireland (1.29), and New Zealand (1.27). With crime indices under 1.36, Singapore, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic complete this list.

Crime prevention

Organized crime is frequently common in nations with high crime indices, and crimes including drug and human trafficking, arms trafficking, homicide, assault, robbery, and corruption are all too common. While some areas have been able to lower their rates of certain crimes significantly, others are still having trouble keeping up with an increase in the same crimes. Targeted actions and community involvement are crucial for addressing these problems and enhancing public safety.

In recent years, it has become clearer that lower crime rates are correlated with higher surveillance densities. A high density of monitoring serves as an effective prevention by alerting potential criminals to the fact that they are being watched. Broad surveillance networks improve public safety by facilitating faster incident response times and supporting proactive crime prevention in real-time. Criminal activity is frequently noticeably lower in locations with extensive observation, particularly in public settings.

Countries such as China, which has installed over 15.88 million CCTV cameras or 10,343 cameras for every 10,000 people, are at the forefront of global surveillance. With 277.51 cameras per square kilometre, major cities like Beijing have significant camera densities. India also has an extensive surveillance system, especially in cities like Chennai, which has 657 cameras per square kilometre, the highest density in the world. With 112,206 installed cameras, the United States comes in third, and the United Kingdom is known for having a massive CCTV network with roughly 5 million cameras.

There is a strong correlation between crime-solving rates and the infrastructure of forensic technologies. Investments in forensic techniques, like DNA profiling, digital forensics, and analysis, are consistently associated with greater crime clearance rates. For instance, the United States reports significantly higher clearance rates for crimes involving forensic evidence, with homicides (74.6%), sexual assaults (32%), and robberies (30.8%) seeing improved resolution rates.

By utilizing forensic technologies, law enforcement organizations can increase public safety, inhibit criminal activity, and solve complicated cases more quickly. The global market for forensic tools is expected to grow as more nations prioritize using these technologies, further reducing crime rates and guaranteeing more efficient administration of justice.

While crime is still a problem globally, public safety is greatly improved by the growing use of security technologies like forensic equipment and video surveillance.