Once online crime reporting starts, are Canberrans ready for the next concept in digital-age policing?

Dubai police launched their first smart police station (SPS) four years ago, using artificial intelligence to help deliver a range of customary services including reporting crime and traffic accidents, applying for permits and certificates, and paying fines.

Two years ago, former ACT Chief Police Officer Ray Johnson - now the acting ACT Corrections Commissioner - flagged a possible return to a "mixed model" of police shopfronts and stations, given the high cost of building a new station.

The most recent purpose-built police station in Canberra was Belconnen, which opened in 2012 and cost $23 million. A station of similar size built now would leave little change out of $35 million.

Dubai's new unmanned stations, which are accessible 24 hours a day, have two "confidential" service booths for issues such as reporting crimes and reporting for bail, and two service points for paying fines and making reports about such things as graffiti, or noise complaints.

Customers have to identify themselves and provide personal details, then use an interactive screen to make a choice on the service they want to access.

They are then either connected online to a on-duty police officer, or the artificial intelligence which runs the station and handles routine inquiries. Police statements can be recorded in 15-20 minutes.

People reporting crimes such as stolen property or fraud are given a police reference number so they can track their inquiry online. The reference number allows the victim of property theft to claim on insurance.

Police in Dubai first experimented with the smart station concept four years ago and it became such a success, they added 16 more.

Compared with a conventional station which the police claim costs around US$30 million ($41.7m) to build and operate, a smart station costs US$1.7 million ($2.4m). Reduced cost means more digital stations can be set up in more suburbs.

Dubai police say the unmanned stations have increased customer satisfaction levels from 64.2 per cent when the concept was launched in 2017 to now 97.5 per cent, with the average interaction time falling from 22 minutes to less than five minutes.

Efficiency also has claimed to have improved, with 80 per cent of services now dealt with digitally online via a smart station, and the remainder through traditional police stations.

The next step in the process is the so-called SPS-Express, which is like an emergency phone tower equipped with a remote monitor and cameras, plus video and audio talk functions. These Express stations would connect directly to a central operations centre.

The closest that Canberra had to a downscaled police station was the Civic "shopfront" set up in 1988 by the-then Commissioner, the late Colin Winchester, to help address social and behavioural problems in the city.

The shopfront's opening came in the wake of the brutal bashing and murder of 24-year-old Bente Mosessen, who was last seen outside JD's Tavern in March that year.

Her body was later recovered at Pierce's Creek. Over 300 women then marched with torches through the streets of Canberra in a night protest against rising violence against women in the city.

Peter Dowling, 34, from the Urriara Forestry Settlement, was later arrested and charged with her murder but was acquitted by a jury.

Civic's police shopfront closed its doors in May 2011.