The Future of Crime

Fighting Fire with Fire: Technology will Enable Law Enforcement Agencies to Prevent, Combat, and Investigate Tech-Driven Crime Effectively

Technology is both a facilitator and a mitigator of crime in the 21st century. As advanced technologies have become part of everyday life, criminals have also integrated them into their methods and activities: encrypted messaging platforms are used for offenses including money laundering and migrant smuggling, increasing the perpetrators’ global reach and with greater anonymity; biometrics are misused to impersonate victims and gain unauthorized access to sensitive information; drones, 3D printing and blockchain facilitate the transportation of illegal items including drugs, firearms, and currency; and there has been a surge in deepfake fraud using artificial intelligence (AI) to carry out identity theft, extortion, and espionage.

The UK Home Office categorizes cybercrimes in two ways: cyber-dependent crimes, which can only happen as a result of digital tools, including hacking and ransomware attacks; and cyber-enabled crimes, which are traditional crimes, including fraud, theft, or child exploitation, but “increased in their scale or reach” by the use of computers. Both categories are set to define future criminal landscapes, offering higher rewards with lower risks.

As a result, it is crucial for law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to prioritize a tech-driven approach to preventing and combatting crime. Key use cases already implemented by LEAs include drones for surveillance, acoustic sensors for precise incident location and gunshot detection, and 3D imaging for reconstructing crime scenes. Similarly, use cases at the pilot stage in countries such as India include AI/machine learning (ML) for detecting suspicious behavior, blockchain for evidence storage, and autonomous vehicles for routine patrolling (e,g, as used by police forces in key Indian cities).

In this paper, we consider the success factors for increasing technology adoption by LEAs, to realize their objectives by realigning their operational frameworks around three core pillars:

Using a tech-powered collaborative decision-making model to work closely with other government bodies, leveraging their deep understanding of crime trends and human behavior to shape policies and devise comprehensive programs.
Adapting to the evolving nature of crime by establishing tailored training programs to increase awareness of cybercrimes, enhance detection and prevention expertise, and ensure regulatory compliance.
Fostering a safer society through active engagement with communities, transparent communication, and forming partnerships for collective action.

Technology is the critical link between the three pillars, enabling LEAs to combat, prevent, and investigate crime efficiently. Moving forward, LEAs must integrate technology adeptly, ensuring its secure and optimal utilization. This includes ensuring data reliability and accuracy and the mitigation of technological biases while prioritizing data privacy; identifying the latest tech, mobilizing investments amidst complex regulations, and developing strategies to navigate these challenges; establishing an interoperable tech infrastructure, addressing vulnerabilities, and efficiently managing security with third-party providers; and recruiting skilled people, facilitating continuous training, and instituting standardized capacity-building programs.

LEAs will also need to focus on aligning technology investments with strategic goals, collaborating with industry experts to overcome obstacles and investing in R&D in order to tackle head-on the crimes of the future.