“In my 25+ years in public works and government, I have seen technology evolve from being clunky and a nuisance to now where efficiencies are improved and reliance on human resources is going away.
The combination of autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence is making the process of inspections near autonomous. There is currently technology that can replace code compliance and infrastructure
inspections. A vehicle can travel around a city and be programmed to identify anomalies and report
them back. A human may be required to verify footage on a desktop, but most of the work would be
automated. Even without automated vehicles this technology can be affixed to trash trucks, which
traverse a city at least twice a week. If code compliance wanted to identify vehicles without a current
registration that are parked on the street, they could do this. If public works wanted every roadkill
possum identified, the technology exists.
Police departments have been using technology in the form of redlight and speeding cameras for
years. These cameras can crank out hundreds of violations an hour and on person sitting at a desk can verify them. License plate readers are common in Florida. These readers are tied into real time crime
centers that track criminals across city lines. The cities integrate these centers to assist each other in
apprehending criminals. The use of drones is replacing law enforcement helicopters for surveillance.
Water and sewer treatment plants are becoming nearly automated. They still require an operator to
man them, but they are doing less labor and more key punching and observing.
With these advances in technology have come opportunities for hacking and taking over operations.
Utility plants have recently become a target for hackers and terrorists. They hack into the system and
can change chemical dosing. Hackers are stealing personal information from agencies and
demanding ransoms. So, with technology comes different challenges. Instead of hiring more field staff, cities are hiring cybersecurity and IT personnel to keep up with the hackers.