UN agrees with Big Data’s potential but urges agencies to ensure its judicious use

Recently, UN experts have urged law enforcement agencies around the world to ensure that ‘big data’ collected via artificial intelligence should not be used to discriminate against minority groups. They added that many organizations offer algorithmic profiling systems for sale to the agencies which are then used in screening job applicants. They further highlighted the need to regulate it for averting the misuse of personal data that perpetuates prejudices. The committee of experts also recommended that the people who have been discriminated need compensation.

On the other hand, the experts lauded the potential of big data which is well known because based on the previous arrest data about a neighborhood, police can use predictive profiling systems for identity checks, traffic stops and searches. Rapidly developing technology has forayed in the law enforcement segment as big data accuracy and algorithms rightly pretend who is likely to do what and the level of threat most of the times.

Public safety analytics companies offering advanced crime analytics have enhanced the operational activities and efficiency of law enforcement agencies for solving criminal activities in less time and accurately, by rapidly revealing actionable information hidden in the data. Advanced crime analytics’ Innovative visualisations and analysis techniques act as a powerful tool to fight against organised crime, transnational crime, violent crime, trafficking, new generation extremism and gun crime.

Big data and technological advancements are playing a major role in most of the countries. The automation and digitization of FIRs, investigation reports, case files, and more are now generating data to get better picture of crime format that was never available to law enforcement agencies before.

By using real-time data from police records and ISROs satellite imageries for Crime Mapping Analytics, authorities locate the calls and visualize them as cluster maps to identify the hot spots of criminal activities. The statistical models of the software help the police understand where the next crime is likely to occur.