Social Sciences in China, 2024

Vol. 45, No. 2, 2024

How Does the Government Facilitate the Co-Production of Digital Public Safety Services?—Based on Empirical Evidence from Shenzhen

(Abstract)

Wu Xiaolin

The application of big data technology provides support for the co-production of public safety services. Existing research often focuses on how technology influences co-production, but lacks attention to the key actors that drive co-production and the mechanisms that facilitate it. This study examines the role of government in the digital co-production of public safety services, using the practice of Shenzhen as a case study. Shenzhen has built

125 information systems based on over 100 billion pieces of big data, forming a model of digital safety service co-production. The study reveals three types of digital co-production, characterized by “government-business joint planning, passive participation of businesses and the public, and active cooperation among government, businesses, and the public” in the “design-production-application” stages. The study shows that the government is not only a co-producer but also a proactive actor in activating the willingness of non-governmental entities to participate. Local governments mobilize non-governmental participation through three mechanisms: empowerment, profit enhancement, and value co-creation. The “power- interest-value” paradigm is applicable for analyzing the co-production of public services and helps to explain the transformation mechanisms of co-production behavior.

Keywords: public safety, co-production, smart emergency response, digital public safety