The number of ‘cold cases’ in the Netherlands is rising every year, with more than 1700 cases currently open. To gather new evidence Swikar Bhandari (EEMCS - DMB group) is researching the capabilities of open-source intelligence at the Centre for Security and Digitalisation (CVD). “The proposed system will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) and citizen science-based approaches to derive actionable intelligence.”
The use of open-source intelligence (OSINT) in high-risk domains is becoming more common, including in sectors such as law enforcement and the military for applications like identifying terrorist threats and detecting fraud. ‘The full potential of OSINT for homicide investigations, particularly cold cases, is still an unexplored territory", says Swikar Bhandari. "However, some successful examples in applications already exist."
A good example is forensic genetic genealogy. DNA databases developed using genetic data of citizen volunteers have helped to identify missing and unidentified people, as well as perpetrators who previously managed to get away with their crimes.
Combining diverse sources
PhD candidate Swikar Bhandari emphasises that intelligence obtained from open sources, such as the internet, cannot be trusted at face value. Serious issues arise due to the reliability, inconsistency and ambiguity of various data sources.
In his quest to construct a reliable OSINT-based system, Swikar applies the concept of probabilistic data integration to manage the uncertainty of the derived information. He also explores the concept of crowdsourcing or citizen science. "This is a new socio-technical approach", Swikar explains. "The goal is to design a system that facilitates citizens' cooperation in investigations and guides them in collecting and evaluating information to obtain useful (actionable) information."
Methodological ways
Swikar and his research fellows hope to design a semi-automated system that could potentially re-open cold cases and assist investigators in identifying the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. The system will aid decision-makers in their search and reasoning activities to gather new evidence.
To ensure the safety, security and responsible use of decision-support systems, Swikar is exploring new methodological ways to evaluate the reliability of open-source data. "Ethics plays an essential role here", he says. "Ethical and legal implications of collecting open-source data for actionable intelligence are fundamental issues.”
Multidisciplinary approach
Due to the multidisciplinary nature of this project, Swikar collaborates with the Philosophy section of the Technology, Policy, and Science (TPS) department at the UT Faculty of Behavioural Management and Social Sciences (BMS). Additionally, the Technologies for Criminal Investigations research group of Saxion Hogeschool and the Police Academy of the Netherlands in Apeldoorn are affiliated with the project.
"Both technological and philosophical perspectives are part of my scientific output", Swikar says. He presented his first research findings at the Homicide Research Working Group 2024 annual conference in Florida in June, focusing on the theme: 'The use of technology and other innovative methods'. His paper explained how the accommodation of solvability factors can enhance the data quality of homicide databases.
Motivation
"I am now working on validating existing data collection methods through a comparative analysis of narrative approaches for homicide investigations", Swikar says. Since a young age, he has been fascinated by the idea of using technologies for criminal investigations. After obtaining his master’s degree, he explored PhD projects that aligned with this interest. "The project at the UT suited my research interest perfectly."
About the CVD
The Centre for Security and Digitalisation (CVD) addresses key challenges in digitalisation and security. It brings together knowledge institutions, businesses, and government organisations to collaborate on research and education in digital safety. The CVD supports professional development and research, with the University of Twente as one of its founding partners.
This article was written by Egbert van Hattem and published by the CVD.
