Criminals could be stopped before they strike, thanks to a groundbreaking AI-powered crime mapping system set to be rolled out across England and Wales by 2030.
Announced by Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, the initiative aims to revolutionise public safety by predicting and preventing serious crimes such as knife crime and anti-social behaviour.
The interactive real-time crime map, developed under the Concentrations of Crime Data Challenge, will harness advanced artificial intelligence to analyse data shared between police, councils, and social services. This includes criminal records, incident locations, and behavioural patterns of known offenders, enabling law enforcement to identify crime hotspots and intervene early.
Backed by an initial £4 million government investment, the project is part of the £500 million R&D Missions Accelerator Programme, supporting the Safer Streets Mission to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls within a decade. Prototypes of the mapping system are expected by April 2026, marking a key milestone in the government’s Plan for Change.
The Technology Secretary commented:
“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.
“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.”
The technology builds on existing Home Office efforts, including hotspot mapping and the summer-long Safer Streets Initiative, but goes further by integrating deeper data sources and more sophisticated analysis. The goal is to provide police and community partners with actionable intelligence to prevent crime before it happens.
Dame Diana Johnson, Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention, also said:
“As criminal networks keep evolving with technology, so too must our response. We are giving police the tools they need to make our streets safer, and this crime map will be a powerful tool, building on the expanded rollout of live facial recognition vans we unveiled this week.
“As part of our Plan for Change, we are investing in AI and other innovations that will help us be smarter on crime, staying ahead of the curve and prevent it from happening in the first place.”
The initiative also supports the government’s commitment to boost neighbourhood policing, with 13,000 additional officers, PCSOs, and special constables being deployed. Every community will have a named, contactable officer focused on local issues.
This crime mapping challenge follows the Clean Energy mission and precedes further science and tech initiatives aimed at transforming the NHS, improving opportunity, and driving economic growth.
Image credit: iStock
