Optic, Xanalys to develop new investigation technology for Ontario Police Services

Xanalys has initiated a pilot project with the Ontario Police Technology Information Cooperative (Optic) to develop a powerful data visualisation and link analysis technology that will help police officers across Ontario gain better insight into investigations.

The link analysis software enables analysts and investigators to understand hidden connections between people, places, and things within the course of an investigation.

In particular, the software is designed to help officers quickly access the general police domain data shared within the OPTIC community, such as incidents, police reports, and digital mug shots, through an intuitive, visual representation of the underlying records management system (RMS) data.

Xanalys Corporate Development vice-president Douglas Wood said: "Our software, Link Explorer Enterprise (LEE) is powerful link analysis software designed to visually indicate to officers how individuals and incidents are connected, despite deliberate attempts by criminals to hide those relationships.

"With this proof of concept in place, we believe that law enforcement officials will be more informed and productive through visual representations of patterns that are otherwise difficult to detect."

OPTIC executive director Paul Hamelin said: "We hope that the proof of concept underway with Xanalys gives officers the information they need in a format they can easily digest.

"It would be yet another significant step in the ongoing process of ensuring that Ontario law enforcement officers have the information they need to better serve their communities."

Claimed to be one of the largest law enforcement data-sharing cooperatives in North America, Optic includes more than 9,100 officers from 43 police and law enforcement agencies and the Ontario Provincial Police, and uses a single RMS from Winnipeg-based Niche Technology.

The pilot project is anticipated to run through later this year.

Apart from pilot project, Xanalys has also delivered its PowerCase technology to the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services to serve as the core technology behind the province-wide Major Case Management initiative.

PowerCase is widely used by all Ontario police forces to investigate major crimes including murders, sexual assaults, and abductions.