Policing the data: Can data analytics help law enforcement?

Abstract

This case study looks at data analytics within a police force, examining how a police force recognised the need to make better use of the data and information they held, and how they started to professionalise their data analytical capability. This real-world example of the decisions and issues faced by a police force in the UK when looking at data analytics will explore the impact of data analytics on crime prevention, resource allocation, and community engagement, and the associated issues faced by a law enforcement body around culture, ethics and technology when implementing such an approach.