Crime-fighting technology to play key role in police efficiency

European success reveals how business intelligence software can help UK police achieve cost-efficient crime analysis following government funding cuts.

Throughout the UK, key frontline services are bracing for new challenges as full details of cuts to government spending emerge. However, several UK police forces have already taken measures to address the need for greater efficiency, adopting innovative technology currently used for successful crime-prevention in Europe.  

QlikView, a pioneering business intelligence solution, is deployed widely in countries such as Sweden, where it has been used for criminal intelligence analysis in a number of high-profile cases. The solution offers powerful data analytics, allowing police analysts to track instances of crime, predict criminal activity and allocate resources more efficiently. Unlike traditional business intelligence tools, it offers rapid time-to-value, making data correlations in seconds. It is also exceptionally intuitive, requiring minimal end user training.

Helping Swedish police to cut crime by up to 30 per cent, QlikView is low cost and integrates with any existing operational system. Police forces in North Yorkshire, Wales and Devon and Cornwall are currently achieving exceptional return on investment from their use of the software in performance management. Initial savings of over £550,000 per annum have been quoted in one case, based on time saved compiling internal reports.

Among the UK forces leading innovation with crime-fighting technology is Gwent Police, which is now looking to expand its use of QlikView to reflect the successful model provided by Europe.  
Paul Evans, QlikView developer at Gwent Police, comments: “QlikView was introduced primarily to measure performance and to ensure cost-efficiency through effective allocation of resources.

“It has already proven its value, significantly reducing the time it takes to collate statistical information and improving transparency. The ease of use provided by QlikView’s comsumerised interface allows any authorised user to access information and run reports with minimal need for training.

“In its current capacity, QlikView is already working to improve the quality of service to victims of crime. However, we are now looking to take this further and develop its use as an intelligence tool, assisting officers in the everyday process of identifying and preventing instances of crime.”

As well as significantly cutting crime, the Swedish Police estimates that its use of the software has helped to save months in time previously spent on data analysis.

It was recently deployed to assist in the case of a serial shooter in the city of Malmo. In less than two weeks, QlikView established a link that was critical for identifying and arresting the prime suspect, who had been at large for a year.

Commenting on the Malmo case, Swedish police analyst, Berth Simonsson, said: “QlikView has been a very labour-saving tool for the police. Analysts ask questions and QlikView delivers answers instantly. Instead of going through the reports manually, we have been able to input lots of information into the system, and in the case of the Malmo shooter, find a key link that otherwise would have been difficult to detect.

“We estimated that material it would previously have taken an officer nine months to go through manually, took just one minute with QlikView.”

Contact: Raffeale De Cesare
Email: Raffaele.deCesare@qlikview.com
Tel: 01926 458868
Web: www.qlikview.co.uk