BIGDATPOL: Big data policing in Europe

The BIGDATPOL research group is an ambitious team led by Prof. Dr. Wim Hardyns at the Department of Criminology, Criminal Law, and Social Law of Ghent University. The European Research Council awarded  Prof. Dr. Hardyns a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant (funded by the European Union; ERC, BIGDATPOL, 101088156) to develop an evidence-based big data policing model that will be tested in several European cities.

This groundbreaking research initiative addresses crucial gaps in the existing study of big data policing and will translate it into a European context. Knowledge and expertise in this field are currently 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. 

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 (quasi-)randomised controlled trials across various European cities and built on the principles of an international and interdisciplinary approach.