LAS TECNOLOGÍAS DE BAJO COSTO Y SU CONTRIBUCIÓN EN LA MEJORA DE LA SEGURIDAD CIUDADANA: ALARMAS COMUNITARIAS

Abstract

The increase in insecurity obliges citizens to adopt measures that prevent crime and alert them to their commitment; On the other hand, different catastrophic situations such as earthquakes, accidents and fires require joint citizen action to help in these emergency situations. This article addresses as problematic the use of low-cost technologies applied to the improvement of citizen security with the aim of designing a prototype of an affordable, scalable, low maintenance price whose implementation would improve the rate of perception of security among the inhabitants of the sector. The basic characteristics of the system were determined: electric power consumption, electronic components, visual and audible alerts, among others; Demographic data of urban-marginal sectors, geographical characteristics of the sector were analyzed and the index of perception of security was developed through the application of surveys to residents. The investigation was carried out during three months in the marginal urban district December 1 of the Babahoyo canton, province of Los Ríos, Ecuador through the implementation of the community alarm prototype that was subjected to functional tests in real situations from which, the Safety perception index showed an increase at the end of the tests. The system was used by the inhabitants during the trial period, in emergency situations and criminal acts, which demonstrated its applicability; As a final consideration, it is noted that the validity of alarm systems lies mainly in social cohesion among the inhabitants that install this type of technology.