Vodacom Business aims to enhance public safety through its Internet of Things (IoT) technology, which streamlines and digitises record-keeping, while providing real-time insights into the status, location and responsibility of inventory such as firearms.

The solution equips government agencies with the data and digital tools they need, including advanced, reliable asset management solutions, to improve operations, says Vodacom Business IoT sales public sector executive head Siseko Mni.

Vodacom Business’s IoT security solution, ‘Peacemaker’, developed in partnership with IoT.nxt, is a comprehensive firearm management system that tracks and monitors weapons, traces accountability and helps prevent theft, unauthorised use and loss.

This enables law enforcement and security agencies to track and monitor assets and also ensures a trail of accountability as firearms move through the system.

“An estimated 1 800 government-issued firearms are lost or stolen every year, and if they enter the illicit market and land in the wrong hands, they can pose a significant risk to citizen safety and the country at large,” explains Mni, noting that, by tracking items in real time, there is continuous visibility of firearms, providing reliable information on their location, status and use, such as gunshots.

“This capability not only helps in improving the protection of these assets and recovering lost or stolen firearms more quickly but also acts as a deterrent against unauthorised use.”

The data collected through the Peacemaker IoT solution facilitates comprehensive monitoring, analysis, evaluation and decision-making.

Monitoring firearm movement and use patterns can improve asset procurement and planning, enhance patrolling, enable more efficient resource use and help identify trends.

With this information, proactive measures can be taken to mitigate potential risks.

“For example, patterns of unusual activity can be flagged for further investigation, helping to prevent firearms from being diverted into illegal channels,” says Mni.