Quantum Technology Cuts Police Response Time

By Tamara Parker • Tuesday, September 30 15:42 • Permanent Link

D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS) and North Wales Police (NWP) have successfully completed a joint proof-of-technology project utilizing a hybrid-quantum application to optimize the placement of police vehicles for emergency response. The new technology has shown remarkable improvements, reducing the time to reach a solution from four months to just four minutes.

The hybrid-quantum application has not only significantly accelerated the process but has also led to a substantial reduction in the average incident response times, nearly halving it. The test demonstrated that NWP could respond to at least 90% of incidents within their target response time using the hybrid-quantum application, showcasing its efficacy in real-world scenarios.

The project was supported by a grant from the Test and Learn Fund secured by NWP from the UK Policing's National Science and Innovation Board. Following the successful project, the Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser for Policing recognized it to be of national cross-government departmental interest with an opportunity for future development and deployment.

Alistair Hughes, the lead for analytics and AI at North Wales Police, highlighted that optimizing forward deployment is a common challenge for most police forces and that the reduction in response time could lead to a decrease in crime, offense escalation, and an increase in public confidence. He expressed the belief that D-Wave’s hybrid-quantum application could be scaled nationally to save time, reduce costs, improve outcomes, and lower the carbon footprint.

The success of this project emphasizes the potential of hybrid-quantum computing to significantly impact public safety and operational efficiency in the public sector. This collaboration between D-Wave, a U.S. company, and North Wales Police in the UK showcases the value of cross-border partnerships in addressing critical public sector challenges.

With the hybrid-quantum application outperforming classical optimization methods, this project highlights the growing significance of data-driven strategies and quantum computing in improving emergency response times and public safety. Today the company's shares have moved -6.24% to a price of $23.73. Check out the company's full 8-K submission here.

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