Law enforcement technologyAnalytic software analyzes every word of 911 calls

Published 1 June 2011

Emergency 911 calls contain valuable data, but investigators and call centers have lacked the manpower or resources to manually analyze each call, however speech analysis software has greatly simplified this task; with speech analytics, law enforcement officials and call centers can now automatically pour through thousands of call records to spot developing trends, assist in ongoing investigations, and identify best practices; the software is capable of indexing every word and phrase in a database, so investigators can run comprehensive searches on various 911 calls

New software makes call volume analysis feasible // Source: altervista.org

Emergency 911 calls contain valuable data, but investigators and call centers have lacked the manpower or resources to manually analyze each call, however speech analysis software has greatly simplified this task.

With speech analytics, law enforcement officials and call centers can now automatically pour through thousands of call records to spot developing trends, assist in ongoing investigations, and identify best practices.

In the past, speech analytic software was prohibitively expensive and was primarily used in counter-terrorism centers or large business call centers, but with the increasing availability of cheaper software, local emergency call centers now have access.

One software provider, Verint, has developed Impact 360 Speech Analytics Essentials which is capable of indexing every word and phrase in a database, so investigators can run comprehensive searches on various 911 calls. In addition, the software can automatically analyze calls and compile comprehensive reports and identify emerging trends.

For instance last year, a Pennsylvania emergency call center using speech analytics software was able to assist a local fire department in investigating a series of porch fire arson incidents. The call center was able to quickly search through its records and provide the local police and fire department with a comprehensive list of where similar incidents occurred.

The system is also able to spot emerging trends and give law enforcement officials a chance to prevent crime before it occurs.

For example, the software could flag an increase in calls regarding light gang activity like loitering and vandalism, which are often precursors to broader events. This capability could offer local officials with a broader view of what is occurring around the community.