Criminals hell bent on making others’ lives a misery face being stopped before they can strike through cutting-edge mapping technology, supported by AI, to be rolled out by 2030, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle announced on Friday (15 August).
Innovators have been tasked with developing a detailed,real-timel time and interactive crime map that spans England and Wales and can detect, track and predict where devastating knife crime is likely to occur or spot early warning signs of anti-social behaviour before it spirals out of control – giving police the intel they need to step in and keep the public safe.
It will be rooted in advanced AI that will examine how to bring together data shared between police, councils, and social services, including criminal records, previous incident locations, and behavioural patterns of known offenders.
The map will identify where crime is concentrating so law enforcement and partners can direct their resources as needed and help prevent further victims.
The Concentrations of Crime Data Challenge sets teams from business, universities, and beyond a clear and measurable target of coming together to develop the solution to be operational across England and Wales by 2030, and is part of the government’s £500 million R&D Missions Accelerator Programme.
As part of an initial £4 million government investment, teams will deliver initial prototypes to enhance the mapping system by April 2026 – a crucial milestone that supports the Safer Streets Mission as part of our Plan for Change, which aims to halve knife crime and Violence Against Women and Girls within a decade.
The challenge builds on existing Home Office work, including sophisticated mapping technologies targeting knife crime hotspots and the summer-long Safer Streets Initiative tackling town centre crime, taking this foundation further through enhanced research, expanded data sources, and deeper analysis to better understand crime patterns and measure the impact of interventions.
“Cutting-edge technology like AI can improve our lives in so many ways, including in keeping us safe, which is why we’re putting it to work for victims over vandals, the law-abiding majority over the lawbreakers,” said Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle.
“Our police officers are at their best when they join up to prevent crime rather than react to it, and R&D can deliver crucial tools for them to stay one step ahead of potential dangers to the public and property – keeping our streets safe and delivering on our Plan for Change.”
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