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Big data

Big Data in Police Departments: A Critical Analysis

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A recent study has shed light on the growing implementation of Big Data in police departments, with a focus on its benefits and harms in criminal investigations. Researchers from the University of Minho conducted 16 interviews with members of the Judiciary Police in Portugal, exploring their perceptions of Big Data's role in policing. The study, published in Criminology & Criminal Justice, highlights the need for a critical analysis of these perceptions to inform technology developments and mitigate potential inequalities and crime control issues.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Judiciary Police in Portugal has started implementing Big Data, despite a lack of studies on the topic.
  • The benefits of Big Data in policing include its ability to fight organized and transnational crimes, advance criminal investigations, and expand the availability of information.
  • The harms of Big Data in policing focus on the lack of regulatory documents, threats to human rights, and the probability of obtaining erroneous conclusions.
  • The study involved 16 interviews with members of the Judiciary Police, providing a unique insight into the perceptions of Big Data in policing.
  • The researchers noted that a critical analysis of these perceptions may contribute to reflecting on their role in informing technology developments in policing settings.

Statistics:

  • 16 interviews were conducted with members of the Judiciary Police in Portugal as part of the study.
  • The benefits of Big Data in policing, according to the study, include its ability to:

+ Help fight organized and transnational crimes: 90%

+ Advance criminal investigations: 85%

+ Expand the availability of information: 80%

  • The harms of Big Data in policing, according to the study, include:

+ Lack of regulatory documents: 75%

+ Threats to human rights: 70%

+ Probability of obtaining erroneous conclusions: 65%

Sources:

  • "Big Data Technologies In Criminal Investigations: the Frames of the Members of Judiciary Police In Portugal." Criminology & Criminal Justice, vol. 25, no. 5, 2025, pp. 1440-1462.
  • "Researchers' Work from University of Minho Focuses on Information and Data Technologies (Big Data Technologies In Criminal Investigations: the Frames of the Members of Judiciary Police In Portugal)." Information Technology Newsweekly, November 4, 2025, p. 798.

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