NYPD launches new analytics tool for fighting terror, crime

New York City is using a new data aggregation and real-time analytics tool to combat crime and terror threats in the city.

The new Domain Awareness System (DAS), developed jointly by the New York Police Department and Microsoft, gives city law enforcement officials a way to aggregate and analyze data from surveillance cameras, license plate readers, radiation detectors, 911 calls, previous crime reports and multiple public safety databases.

The system enables a comprehensive view of developing threats and criminal activity, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press conference Wednesday. It gives law enforcement officials a way to quickly access and correlate the information needed to respond in the most effective manner to such threats, he said.

"[DAS] capitalizes on new powerful policing software that allows police officers and other personnel to more quickly access relevant information gathered from [multiple public safety data streams]," Bloomberg noted. "It will help the NYPD do more to prevent crimes from occurring and help them respond to crimes even more effectively." Read more...