Serious organised crime dashboard

The aim of the SOC dashboard is to:

• provide a live tool to front line police officers and staff which provides an up-to-date insight into SOC intelligence, crimes and incidents for wards or neighbourhoods
• ensure all data is viewable on a Power BI dashboard
• provide an organisational level overview to ensure early identification of emerging SOC risks to inform the assignment of specialist resources

The intended outcome are to:

• increase officers and staff knowledge of SOC
• ensure neighbourhood policing team (NPTs) have a more in-depth insight into SOC in their districts
• reduce the amount time taken for analysts and intelligence staff to produce profiles for geographical areas
• improve how the force operates and responds to SOC within communities

North Yorkshire Police’s Business Insight Team developed a SOC dashboard using Power BI. This tool integrates data from Niche, the crime recording system, along with analytical datasets. Its main purpose is to provide front-line officers and staff with a real-time snapshot of SOC intelligence and incidents within their ward and across the county.

To shape the dashboard’s layout and functionality, several focus groups were held. These involved:

• front-line officers from various Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs)
• intelligence and analytical staff
• ICT and performance teams

Key areas of discussion included:

• dashboard layout and design
• accessibility considerations
• user engagement strategies
• integration of incident and occurrence datasets

The dashboard presents mapped data on SOC-related:

• crimes
• incidents
• intelligence

It also includes links to perpetrators and victims of child criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation. Neighbourhood policing teams can view ward-level CHB sites and intelligence to better inform their approach to community policing. Senior leaders can assess real-time risk levels, enabling targeted resource deployment, strategic intervention, and community engagement.

A dedicated communications lead managed the dashboard’s launch and continues to promote its use through internal communications channels.

Development incurred no additional costs, as it leveraged existing software and internal resources. The only investment was the time contributed by staff involved in its creation.

An evaluation is currently being planned and will be led internally by a police analyst. The evaluation plans to look at outcome rates, the length of patrol times, and user satisfaction figures utilising force held data and internal survey results. 

Officers and staff have reported that the dashboard is highly effective in helping them understand ward-level data. Supervisors have used the tool to inform team briefings prior to deployment.

Example one

A suspect unexpectedly rose to prominence in the dashboard due to intelligence linking them and their residence to county lines drug supply. This triggered targeted prevention visits, eventually leading to re-housing and the provision of a wrap-around support package from the local partnership.

The dashboard has played a key role in live-time briefings for partner agencies on high-risk SOC issues.

Example two

Following a spike in county line drug supply and related exploitation, the Community Safety Partnership used the dashboard to identify specific locations and issues. This enabled the development of a focused, problem-solving approach.

Quantitative data from the CHB sites shows an increase in intelligence by 75%, and a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour by 25%. Strategic and operational delivery groups have used the dashboard to monitor performance and direct interventions effectively.

• The dashboard’s development progressed successfully, largely due to a clearly defined vision from the outset and consistent review meetings to stay on track. A strong understanding of the various datasets was crucial for the build team. Initially, the designer faced challenges integrating and overlaying multiple data sources into a single cohesive dashboard.
• Simplicity was a key design consideration to ensure that frontline officers could use the dashboard with ease and confidence
• A structured and customised training resource or ‘how-to’ guide is now being developed. Initially, it was assumed that officers and staff had sufficient experience with Power BI dashboards, and formal training was deemed unnecessary. However, it became clear that users were not fully utilising the dashboard’s capabilities, prompting a reassessment and the creation of step-by-step guidance.
• There is growing recognition of the value in mapping SOC-targeted disruption activity. This would allow officers and staff to observe in real time how such operations influence the broader crime and intelligence picture. Work is currently underway to explore the feasibility of integrating Agency and Partner Management Information System (APMIS) disruption data into the dashboard.
• The dashboard has also proven useful for covert operations. It provides real-time context for deployments and assists with locating individuals who have been lost during surveillance. By examining dashboard mapping of the area where the subject went off the radar, teams can identify relevant addresses to focus their search efforts.