U.K. Police Hope Data Will Help Catch Criminals Before They Strike

British police are mining data for clues about who may commit crimes in the future.

The Metropolitan Police in London's New Scotland Yard hope to glean a list of 100 potential killers and rapists in London by using information from police complaints, domestic-violence databases, and mental health providers, British media reported this week. Authorities are already engaged in pilot projects to identify suspects by predicting patterns before they commit violent acts, according to The Times.

The Times first published information about the new risk assessment and crime prevention program this week.

A report published online by the London police refers to enforcement and prevention through a "criminal network prioritization matrix."

Sarah Mahoney, of the police press office, e-mailed a brief statement confirming that the police are piloting new "processes and systems to tackle violent offenders" and are waiting for a review of their analysis.

The news comes after the country's Information Commissioner's Office issued a report detailing extensive surveillance in the United Kingdom and calling for improved protection of personal data. The government office is charged with overseeing and enforcing data protection and freedom-of-information laws.

Police departments in the United States use predictive analytics to prevent crimes in high-risk areas and assessment software to gauge potential violence.