VANCOUVER, British Columbia and TORONTO, June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Police in British Columbia are joining an increasing number of public safety organizations throughout the world who use advanced software from IBM (NYSE: IBM) to mine, share and extract intelligence from data. Police Records Information Management Environment for British Columbia (PRIME-BC) has selected IBM analytics software to improve police investigative and prevention programs and respond to crime and emergency situations more efficiently.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )

In its first multi-police jurisdictional implementation, IBM's technology will analyze the more than four million records in the PRIME-BC records management system used by all of BC's municipal police departments and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments. The IBM Entity Analytics capability will help to eliminate duplicate entries and match partial or intentionally inaccurate information.

"Establishing accurate identities and understanding relationships between individuals is an important step in law enforcement," said PRIMECorp General Manager Russell Sanderson. "IBM is helping us turn data into intelligence to solve and fight crime, and in the process, significantly increase officer safety and reduce public risk."

Multiple entries on a single individual can lead to fragmented and incomplete intelligence and potentially dangerous situations, if a query fails to reveal a person's history of violence, mental health issues, or criminal record due to inconsistencies in the way data such as name or date of birth was recorded -- for example "John Doe" vs. "John B. Doe." Some estimate as many as one in five records in PRIME-BC's database are duplicate entries.

IBM's technology will help the agencies quickly and accurately cull through data on individuals collected during traffic stops, 911 calls, witness interviews and criminal investigations - currently stored in three separate repositories -- and illuminate duplicate entries.

Once the system is in place, the province's 9,600 officers will have faster access to all police records across the province, providing them with a more comprehensive, real-time view of a particular individual. The system will be available in the field via more than 2,000 mobile units in patrol cars.

PRIME-BC will also use the IBM technology to help reduce illegal operations among gangs, and other drug distribution activities, by gaining additional insight on potential relationships among criminals. The software will be used to illuminate interconnectedness among records, by finding common identifying factors.

"This software addresses the two most fundamental limitations to information-sharing that law enforcement agencies face: data quality and privacy concerns," says Darryl Plecas, a professor of criminology at the University of Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, BC. "PRIME-BC's implementation of Entity Analytics has the potential to help uncover and manage potential threats and fraudulent activity by individuals and groups attempting to mask, hide, or misrepresent their identities."

IBM is working with police in Edmonton as well as New York City, Memphis, Madrid and Poland on new analytics technologies that extract information that identifies patterns and help predict, prevent and solve crimes faster.

For more about how IBM is helping improve public safety, please visit: http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/public_safety/ideas/

NOTE:  This press release is no longer accurate.  IBM has divested the i2 business.

VIDEO

To see an interview with Russell Sanderson about PRIME-BC's use of IBM analytics software, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daJppBPtWng

    Media Contacts:
    Leslie Plant                              Russell Sanderson
    IBM                                       PRIMECorp
    416.478.9840                              604.581.1258
    laplant@ca.ibm.com                        russell.sanderson@primebc.ca

SOURCE IBM