Police force harnesses AI to help catch stalkers
Cheshire Police has made history by becoming the first force in the United Kingdom to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into its stalking investigations. The pioneering move is aimed at enhancing the way stalking behaviours are identified, with the hope that the technology will help detect patterns at an earlier stage and protect potential victims before situations escalate.
Detective Chief Inspector Danielle Knox, who leads the force’s dedicated stalking unit, emphasised that while AI will serve as a valuable tool, it will never replace the crucial human element in such sensitive investigations. “This technology is designed to enhance what our officers are already doing,” she explained. “We have ethics committees and robust checks and balances in place to ensure that the algorithms operate in the way we want them to, safeguarding both victims and suspects’ rights.”
Currently, Cheshire’s Harm Reduction Unit (HRU), which handles allegations of stalking and harassment, relies on officers to manually review evidence. On average, the unit deals with 10 stalking cases every day, often involving complex and distressing situations. The introduction of AI is expected to streamline the process, allowing officers to focus their attention where it is most needed.
The innovative system will analyse incident reports in real-time, while victims are still speaking with police call handlers. Using data from both the HRU and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust—a charity specialising in personal safety and stalking awareness—the algorithm will be trained to identify behaviours associated with stalking. One of the key aims is to ensure that the technology is intelligent enough to recognise patterns even if the term “stalking” is not explicitly used by victims or witnesses.
Cheshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Dan Price, who secured £300,000 from the Police STAR (Science, Technology, Analysis and Research) Fund to support the project, believes the technology will significantly speed up investigations. “AI can identify patterns and behaviours and build cases at an earlier stage, rather than teams of people sifting through layers of data,” Price explained. He highlighted the fact that in other areas where AI has been deployed for crime investigations, it has proven to be 25 times more effective than a single detective working alone.
Currently, around 75 per cent of cases dealt with by the HRU result in a suspect being charged. Price is confident that the new technology will lead to even more convictions, providing faster protection and reassurance for victims.
One such victim, referred to by the BBC as Amy to protect her identity, believes that AI could have spared her from a prolonged and terrifying ordeal. Amy was subjected to an intense campaign of harassment by someone she knew, which escalated over time. She faced harassment at work, received threatening phone calls at home, and was abused online, culminating in a violent assault.
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“While no-one could have predicted a violent attack, the harassing behaviour was there,” Amy told BBC News. “Had things been picked up sooner, who knows? Things could potentially have been prevented.”
Amy, who has now returned to work, continues to struggle with the trauma of her experiences. She admits to finding it difficult to leave her house or establish new professional relationships. Nonetheless, she is supportive of any technology that might help others avoid the suffering she endured. “Anything that allows these specialist people in their roles to support victims is certainly something I would advocate,” she said.
As Cheshire Police embarks on this groundbreaking use of AI, there is hope that it will not only enhance investigative capabilities but also act as a vital safeguard for those vulnerable to stalking. By combining human expertise with the efficiency of AI, the force aims to create a more proactive approach to tackling these often complex crimes, potentially saving lives and preventing future tragedies.
