Ethiopia launches Africa’s first unmanned police station

thiopia has launched a “smart” or unmanned police station, featuring partitioned booths with computer tablets and no traditional front desk or waiting areas.

The station is part of the east African country’s efforts to modernize its law enforcement operations through technology.

Being a pilot project, uniformed officers are on-site to demonstrate the system, making it feel more like a tech showroom.

At the project’s launch last month,  the prime minister Abiy Ahmed was quoted in state media as saying that it was aimed at making “law enforcement institutions competent and competitive” and he framed it as part of a wider digital reform drive.

“The future police service should be near the citizens,” Ahmed said.

The smart police service is designed to enable citizens to access police services more efficiently, reduce response times and improve operational effectiveness.

The launch is part of the broader Digital Ethiopia 2030 initiative, which seeks to modernise institutions through technology-driven reforms.

Officials noted that this service will not only improve police responsiveness but also reinforce ongoing efforts to make law enforcement institutions more competent, competitive, and citizen-focused.

In its first week last month, the smart police station (SPS) received just three reports – a lost passport, a financial fraud case and a routine complaint.

The initiative aligns with the country’s push to embrace the digital revolution in public services.

The use of a computer tablet to communicate with officials may mean less human-to-human contact but the authorities believe that the SPS could increase access to the police in places where there may not be enough personnel to man a fully fledged station.