Technologies such as TETRA, used by different law enforcement agencies globally, allow seamless interaction between devices from different entities, making crime prevention or natural crisis management easier for governments and authorities. Societies have changed in recent years. Little by little, the saying “a picture is worth a hundred words” is becoming a reality. This need has led different police forces around the world to implement improvements, both in infrastructure and in systems to modernize themselves, offering more security and efficiency in their modus operandi. In fact, Latin America is one of the regions of the world that invests the most in this area, according to data from the Inter-American Development Bank, on average, the region invests 5.4% of its total expenditure, versus 3.3% of what the OECD countries spend. In this line, the States must privilege some technological and innovation attributes over others. For example, this year the Dutch police migrated to Hytera’s TETRA communication system; the transition from the old system to the modern one took only one night due to the adaptability of the open standard system. Precisely, the Ministry of Justice of the Netherlands selected it for this feature that allows the integration of different systems such as LTE, Tetrapol, P25, among others. This type of operation allows countries to make savings by optimizing their resources, especially in maintenance, thus fostering an environment of real competition in the markets. Thus, the entire Dutch police, fire and rescue services have been communicating via the new C2000 system for security and rescue workers. Around 18,600 radios are in operation daily, making around 155,000 calls a day and processing 100 emergency calls. For Hytera’s regional director, Luis Pérez, the smooth operation of the systems is no simple task. “Security and communication protocols are essential for crime prevention and crisis management. In addition, these must be able to be adapted and optimized according to the reality of each country or city, since the capacity to react makes a key difference in the resolution of problems.” Body-worn cameras and multi-technology radios In this regard, body-worn cameras and multi-technology radios have evolved to become smaller and lighter for easy transport. However, they must increasingly have high-tech features such as full HD video quality, infrared, night vision and integration with communication equipment of different entities both over narrowband in private networks and broadband for optimal data transmission, among others. Precisely, the connection capacity of Hytera’s multi-technology radios -which operate over private TETRA or public LTE networks- plus the flexibility of the Android operating system, make it possible to transmit data via Wi-Fi, NFC or Bluetooth, making it an essential tool for different entities that need to communicate without problems, especially in crisis situations and under the security and privacy requirements of mission-critical communications such as public safety. Some studies have shown that personal cameras, among other products, function as a deterrent mechanism to avoid verbal abuse and aggression. This is because people usually change their behavior and calm down if they know they are being filmed. In this way, Hytera BodyCams offer an additional means of protection to front-line personnel. This product enables dispatching and video communication, voice calls and initiating emergency alarms over 3G/4G/Wi-Fi in mission critical conditions, e.g. when cell phone lines are cut. TETRA radios Communication during an operation is essential to coordinate next moves; knowing all the details of the situation allows better decisions to be made. In this regard, terrestrial trunked two-way radios (TETRA) are one of the tools used by public security forces worldwide. The particularity of these devices, in addition to ensuring stable and clear communications, is that they support End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) and Air Interface Encryption (AIE) and authentication, which allows for greater security during communication. Also, depending on the model, they have a robust and ultra-thin design, all of them complying with the most extreme environmental and military standards. It is worth mentioning that TETRA technology is also part of other security-focused deployments around the world, such as the Dutch Police Network, the Brazilian Highway Police, among others. Unified communication platforms In addition to the equipment that is on the streets during patrols or operations, there are the control centers, which are a remote support for police officers. These are in charge of providing real-time information and analyzing the information received by the agents in the field. Even though there are many implements within a control center, one of the most important is the unified communication platforms. As its name suggests, it is a technology that allows the integration of professional functions, such as dispatching, voice recording, automatic vehicle location (AVL) and camera monitoring. On the other hand, it also has the ability to link different radio systems such as TETRA, Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) and public telephone network. Thanks to this, law enforcement agencies can carry out their activities in a calmer and more coordinated manner. Thus, the greater integration of this type of systems helps a quick and accurate response to crisis situations by reducing the reaction time, compared to other types of technologies. In fact, it has been demonstrated that these solutions, when interconnected with the 911 system, optimize the response to medical emergency calls, improving the dispatch of ambulances by 48%, as well as other types of emergencies. In addition, it maintains the institutions linked to public safety with the highest quality standards worldwide. ABOUT HYTERA IN CHILE Hytera is a global firm with more than 30 years of experience in creating communication solutions and services through research, development, manufacturing and distribution of state-of-the-art products. With a presence in more than 120 countries, in Chile the company is supplier of the Municipality of Las Condes, Municipality of Lo Barnechea, Metro de Santiago, among others. Currently, Hytera is one of the leading companies in connectivity and equipment for different industries such as mining, transportation and public safety. For more information visit www.hytera.com/la.