The National Police (DGSN) and Territory Surveillance Services (DGST)’s 5th Open House event, held May 17-21 in Agadir, drew a record 2,120,000 visitors, higher than all four previous open houses, according to a DGSN press release.
This year’s event saw record daily attendance, peaking over the weekend of May 18-19 at more than 1,400,000 visitors, mainly students from 845 schools, along with representatives of more than 1,242 civil society associations and correspondents from 170 national and local media outlets.
In addition to the massive influx of visitors who came from Agadir, Inezgane, Ait Melloul, and the nearby towns of Taroudant, Tiznit, Tata, Essaouira, and Tafraout, the DGSN made available an application enabling a virtual tour of all the event sites.
The DGSN also made use of the “JPO POLICE” online app, which is downloadable to cell phones, tablets, and computers, to post the event program as well as the various practical and educational activities and professional demonstrations planned.
The institution also used its official accounts on social networks to live stream various activities, which attracted over 25 million views, according to the release.
The event also featured 58,000 m2 of exhibition space, including 10,000 m2 covered, with 37 booths dedicated to scientific and technical police, intervention units, the use of technology and science in policing, recruitment, training, and management of the professional and social life of the police, identity documents and border control, as well as other security professions.
Some displays provided information on computer applications and artificial intelligence systems that have been developed by DGSN specialists ostensibly to increase citizen security.
The National Council for Human Rights and the National Road Safety Agency also set up information booths.
A 750 m2 entertainment pavilion to children, with activities that combined fun and learning using cutting-edge virtual and interactive reality technologies, in addition to open spaces for professional demonstrations by national security horse riders, trained police dogs, special forces, and the orchestra.
The entire exhibition space utilized high-quality sound and lighting systems to encourage public engagement.
This year’s event integrated civil society organizations and institutional and academic partners, offering a series of seminars and scientific meetings on subjects such as joint operations of public forces, rescue services, and civil society in managing the earthquake disaster and other major events, and the uses of artificial intelligence in policing.
In an innovative move, the Open House included a medical booth for blood donations as part of a partnership between the DGSN and the National Blood Transfusion Center. 230 donors including police officers and visitors participating in the Open House donated blood to increase Morocco’s national blood bank which has been in short supply in recent years.
The 5th Open House, entitled “National Security: Citizenship and Solidarity,” coincided with the 68th anniversary of the DGSN.