Crime investigation system

Abstract

A computer-implemented crime investigation system having a computer including a processor is operable to: receive and store one or more image data items, each of which shows one or more offenders in the process of committing an offence; authenticate a user belonging to a first access group; receive, via an application interface, case information from said user; attach portions of said case information, as indicated by said user using said application interface, to one or more of said image data items, as also indicated by said user using said application interface; search at least one of: said image data items or said case information based on search parameters; and return one or more search result image data items, having at least one of image data or attached case information which matches said search parameters, together with any of said case information attached to said search result image data items.

1 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system, comprising:
 at least one computer including a processor, said at least one computer operable to:   receive, via an application interface, case information corresponding to a plurality of offences;   receive, via said application interface, and store one or more image data items, each of which shows one or more suspects in the process of committing one or more of said offences;   attach portions of said case information, as indicated by one or more users using said application interface, to one or more of said image data items, as also indicated by said one or more users using said application interface;   search said image data items and/or said case information based on search parameters; and   return one or more search result image data items, having image data and/or attached case information which matches said search parameters, together with any of said case information attached to said search result image data items;   wherein, for at least a subset of said image data items, the attached case information for each image data item includes a respective suspect profile for each suspect shown in the image data item in question, each suspect profile including information relating to the suspect in question; and   wherein the at least one computer is further operable to enable a user to link a first suspect profile with a second suspect profile, using said application interface, where said user has determined that first and second suspect profiles correspond to the same suspect.   
     
     
         2 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system according to  claim 1 , wherein said search is carried out automatically upon attachment of case information to an image data item, with said search parameters based on at least one of said case information or said image data item being attached. 
     
     
         3 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system according to  claim 2 , wherein said search parameters are based on said image data item and wherein said search uses facial recognition to match a face visible in said image data item with faces in other image data items stored by said system. 
     
     
         4 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the system is further operable to receive said search parameters from said user and to carry out said search in response. 
     
     
         5 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system according to  claim 1 , wherein, for at least a subset of said image data items, the attached case information for each image data item includes information relating to the offence shown in the image data item in question. 
     
     
         6 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system according to  claim 5 , wherein said information relating to the offence includes at least one of:
 information describing the type of offence;   information relating to the location of the offence;   information indicating the current status of the investigation with regard to the one or more offenders;   information relating to the type of device that created the image data item;   information describing one or more possible motivating factors for the offence; and   information relating to the type of property that was stolen or damaged during the offence.   
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system according to  claim 6 , wherein said search is carried out automatically upon attachment of case information to an image data item, with said search parameters being based on at least one of:
 information describing the type of offence;   information relating to the location of the offence;   information describing one or more possible motivating factors for the offence; and   information relating to the type of property that was stolen or damaged during the offence.   
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system according to  claim 1 , wherein, for each suspect profile, said information relating to suspect in question includes at least one of:
 the gender of the suspect in question;   information describing the hair-style of the suspect in question;   information describing the clothing, head-wear or foot-wear worn by the suspect in question; and   information describing items carried by the suspect in question.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system according to  claim 8 , wherein said search is carried out automatically upon attachment of case information to an image data item, with said search parameters being based on at least one of:
 the gender(s) of the suspect(s) shown in the image data item;   information describing the hair-style(s) of the suspect(s) shown in the image data item;   information describing the clothing, head-wear or foot-wear worn by the suspect(s) shown in the image data item; and   information describing items carried by the suspect(s) shown in the image data item.   
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one computer is further operable to:
 receive information relating to the possible identification of an offender;   to attach said possible offender identification information to one or more of said image data items, which is indicated by a user using said application interface.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented crime investigation system according to  claim 10 , wherein said at least one computer is further operable, in response to the user attaching possible offender identification information to said one or more of said image data items, to create one or more intelligence reports, each of which includes an image data item, any case information attached thereto, and possible offender identification information, as indicated by the user.