Big Data technologies in criminal investigations: the frames of the members of Judiciary Police in Portugal

Abstract

Big Data has been increasingly implemented in police departments. In the Judiciary Police in Portugal, although it is at an early stage of implementation, there are no studies on the topic. Based on 16 interviews with members of the Judiciary Police, their frames that portray Big Data’s benefits and harms in criminal investigations are explored. The benefits portrayed are related to its capabilities to help fight organized and transnational crimes, advance criminal investigations, and expand the availability of sets of information. The harms focus on the lack of regulatory documents, threats to human rights, and the probability of obtaining erroneous conclusions. A critical analysis of these frames may contribute to reflecting on their role to inform technology developments in policing settings, with implications for inequalities, and crime control.