No abstract

There is a growing tendency toward the introduction of Big Data in police departments to improve the prevention and investigation of crime. However, there is little systematic knowledge about the perspectives of professionals in police forces regarding this technology. This article fills this gap by presenting a scoping review that systematizes empirical studies of the views of professionals in police forces about Big Data in the field of policing and criminal investigation. Fourteen articles were analyzed following a descriptive–analytical method. Optimistic and oppositional views about Big Data among professionals in police forces were then described. Optimistic views focused on the potential of Big Data to improve the objectivity and efficiency of policing and better manage police resources by providing new capabilities and strategies by which to perform crime predictions, risk assessments, criminal investigations, crime analysis, risk management, cooperation and data exchange. Oppositional views related to the police's awareness of Big Data's biases, the lack of a regulatory landscape, misuse of data, privacy threats, data security, misplaced trust in technology, the absence of major changes in work practices, and practical barriers. Analysis of the co-presence of optimistic and oppositional views adds a comprehensive and interpretative argument that might contribute to critical reflections on the technological feasibility, societal usability, and desirability of Big Data technologies in police departments.

Assiste-se hoje a um crescente debate em torno dos direitos humanos e dos grandes dados. Este artigo explora as expectativas de profissionais envolvidos na partilha transnacional de dados genéticos, geneticistas forenses e stakeholders de diferentes áreas relativamente à inclusão de Big Data na investigação criminal transnacional. Tendo por base uma metodologia qualitativa de análise de conteúdo de entrevistas, o objetivo é delinear os sentidos e aceder às significações que estes profissionais atribuem ao Big Data enquanto potencial técnica de investigação criminal, no âmbito das suas atividades profissionais. Apesar da promessa do potencial dos grandes dados em termos de eficácia e eficiência, a sua inclusão nos meios de investigação criminal impõe questões éticas e de direitos humanos que importam estudar. Concluo que os entrevistados referem a dificuldade de encontrar o equilíbrio entre a garantia dos direitos, liberdades e garantias dos indivíduos com a promoção da segurança pública; a ética da investigação criminal; e as violações ao direito à privacidade.

No abstract

Big Data has been increasingly implemented in police departments. In the Judiciary Police in Portugal, although it is at an early stage of implementation, there are no studies on the topic. Based on 16 interviews with members of the Judiciary Police, their frames that portray Big Data’s benefits and harms in criminal investigations are explored. The benefits portrayed are related to its capabilities to help fight organized and transnational crimes, advance criminal investigations, and expand the availability of sets of information. The harms focus on the lack of regulatory documents, threats to human rights, and the probability of obtaining erroneous conclusions. A critical analysis of these frames may contribute to reflecting on their role to inform technology developments in policing settings, with implications for inequalities, and crime control.