Public safety continues to be a top concern for cities across Alabama, especially in communities where resources are stretched thin. AI offers enormous potential to improve how cities predict, respond to, and prevent safety issues — but barriers around access, implementation, and ethics remain.

Key challenges include:

• Crime Prevention and Detection Gaps: Lack of advanced tools to predict, prevent, and respond to crimes in real-time.
  
  
• Emergency Response Delays: Hindered by outdated dispatch systems and limited situational awareness.
  
  
• Data Silos: Fragmented systems that prevent effective data sharing and coordinated public safety strategies across agencies.
  
  
• Trust and Transparency: Concerns about ethics, bias, and privacy in AI-driven policing.
  
  
• Workforce Readiness: Limited exposure and training in AI for public safety officials and city leaders.
  
  
• Funding Constraints: Smaller municipalities often lack resources to adopt or scale AI solutions.