Prof. Janet Chan1, Associate Professor Lyria Bennett Moses1, Associate Professor Carrie Sanders2, Ms Holly Blackmore1
1UNSW Law, Sydney, Australia, 2Criminology Department, Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford, Canada
This paper examines the role of data analysts in the production of crime and security intelligence at a time of technological change. Drawing primarily on data from a pilot study conducted in Australia [and relevant aspects of comparative research in Canada and the US], this paper constructs a conceptual framework for analysing intelligence practice in Western democratic states. The framework takes into account the impact of digital technology, the uneven distribution of political and institutional resources, and the variation in capability of analysts to adapt to changes in the field. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of this framework for future research and policy.
Biography:
JANET CHAN is Professor at UNSW Law, Key Researcher at the Data to Decisions Cooperative Research Centre (D2D CRC) and Leader of the Data Justice Stream at the Allens Hub for Technology, Law & Innovation. Her research interests include criminal justice, sociology of creativity, organisational studies, and science and technology studies. Her current research focuses on the use of big data analytics for security and social policy. Janet was elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 2002. In 2015 she was the joint recipient of the ANZ Society of Criminology Distinguished Criminologist Award.