BIGDATPOL

The BIGDATPOL research group is an ambitious team led by Prof Dr Wim Hardyns at the Department of Criminology, Criminal Law, and Social Law, Ghent University. Prof Dr Hardyns has been awarded a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council to develop an evidence-based big data policing model that will be tested in several European cities. Revolutionising Policing with Big Data: Big data policing can be seen as an innovative information-driven policing strategy. It uses advanced statistical methodologies to analyse historical and real-time data, enabling us to predict with greater accuracy when and where there is a high risk of new criminal activity. By learning from patterns, our algorithms empower law enforcement agencies to allocate resources proactively, ultimately leading to a reduction in crime rates. A European Endeavor: This groundbreaking research initiative addresses crucial gaps in the existing study of big data policing and will translate it into a European context. Currently, knowledge and expertise in this field are dispersed, hindering the development of effective strategies. Moreover, interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for a comprehensive understanding of this complex issue, spanning statistical-methodological, criminological, economic, legal, and ethical dimensions. Evidence-Based Approach: Our approach is innovative and radically different from the existing initiatives, which often lack transparency. Our objective is to unite and integrate the statistical-methodological, criminological, economic, legal and ethical dimensions of big data policing in an evidence-based model that will be tested by different randomized controlled trials across various European cities and built on the principles of an international and interdisciplinary approach. By doing so, we aim to not only refine the predictive accuracy of big data policing but also establish an international, interdisciplinary standard for its application.