Data analysis as tools of crime management

Mere generation of data can be of no use if such data is not analysed to generate useful information for application in problem-solving. Voluminous 'Crime in India' data series published annually by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) contains key information which can be analysed to predict crime patterns and devise prevention strategies. The application of digital technology and Artificial Intelligence can facilitate a vast range of data analysis and prediction but requires massive funding for technology adoption and human resource building. Inauguration of Crime and Criminal Tracking and Network Systems (CCTNS) Hackathon by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday marked a significant step forward by the Bureau of Police Research and Development towards using big data available in the country for solving crime challenges. Shah said the Hackathons are the only way through which the police can stay two steps ahead of criminals and underlined the need for taking it to every state. He highlighted that 16,390 police stations of the country have been connected through technology, but the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are still not connected with it. Shah's insistence on these central agencies joining the CCTNS as soon as possible to make data 100 per cent complete resulted in adding more volumes of quality crime data to the CCTNS database. The Central government has set the target of spending Rs 3,500 crore between 2022-23 and 2025-26 under the Second Phase of the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) project. The ICJS is a common platform for information exchange and analytics of all pillars of the criminal justice system comprising Police, Forensics, Prosecution, Courts and Prisons and IT systems installed under phase I of the project has enabled nationwide search on police, prisons and courts databases across all States and Union Territories in the country. Other features of the project include consumption of profiling data based on key identifiers – FIR number, Case number, Prisoner number etc., seamless access to Arms License Information System data by all pillars, training of officers from prosecution and forensic laboratories and consumption of data by Courts. Registration of around one crore fingerprints under the project till now demonstrate the endless possibilities of data application to make crime management much faster and more accurate. In a speech delivered on the occasion of 37th Foundation Day of the NCRB, Shah pointed out that if these fingerprint data become available to all police stations, then there is no need to pursue criminals, as after getting their fingerprints, their address can be found on the database of the police station. Data speed is an issue for many police stations in rural India which needs to be addressed with bandwidth solutions to ensure faster upload/download. The National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO) to identify and track repeat and habitual sexual offenders built under the ICJS ecosystem showcases how data can be converted into useful analytic products for crime management. The NDSO data is used in pre-employment character and antecedent verifications to curb sexual crimes at the workplace, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Phase II of the ICJS project envisages building the ecosystem on the principle of 'one data one entry' so that data entered under one pillar is also made available in other pillars to prevent double or multiple entries of the same data across pillars. The gap in usage of available NCRB data analysis, Shah highlighted, is that analysis is limited to the framework of the Indian Penal Code leaving out social perspective. "If crime data is not used to reduce crime, then we cannot take maximum advantage of keeping the data," he adds and rightly emphasises the need for undertaking analysis of the stored crime data making use of modern tools and technology using multiple frameworks and perspectives. Availability and easy accessibility of the crime data in the public domain can facilitate think tanks, universities, data analysts to undertake a research project of analysing NCRB or CCNTS data to come up with scientific solutions to prevent and reduce crime. The government has set a modest target of increasing the utility of crime data by at least 20% over the next five years. This brings me a huge opportunity for universities, research institutions to undertake collaborative research projects with the BPRD and NCRB. The promotion of data science as an academic discipline in colleges and universities will help create a pool of data scientists that will be required to undertake such collaborative projects. Technological ties up with the Indian Institute of Technology and other technical institutions will facilitate the development of IT and AI-enabled data analysis solutions and tools for use by data scientists. Scientific data mining and analysis of crime data will bring about a radical change in crime management in India if the available fund is judiciously utilized.

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