What is MOPAC?
MOPAC (Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime) plays a crucial role in overseeing the Metropolitan Police Service in London. Established under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act of 2011, MOPAC is responsible for setting the strategic priorities for policing and crime reduction in the city. Our mission is to make London safer for all, ensuring that public concerns around crime and justice are addressed while holding the police accountable to the highest standards of service.
What Does MOPAC Do?
MOPAC works to reduce crime, improve public trust in policing, and deliver greater transparency and accountability across London’s criminal justice system. We collaborate closely with the police, community safety organisations, and local government to set objectives, allocate resources, and track progress on the key challenges facing our communities. Our work includes commissioning research, running community programs, and making data-driven decisions to improve public safety and justice outcomes.
The Data Science Team at MOPAC
The Data Science team is a new and innovative function within MOPAC, aimed at utilising the power of data to enhance the effectiveness of policing and crime reduction strategies in London. We operate at the intersection of technology, policy, and policing to derive insights from data that drive better decision-making. Our work is underpinned by MOPAC’s commitment to making evidence-based decisions that improve the safety of all Londoners.
Our Purpose and Objectives
The primary objective of the Data Science team is to harness the potential of data to tackle complex problems in policing and crime prevention. We bring together advanced analytics, machine learning, and data visualisation techniques to:
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Support strategic decision-making: By analysing crime patterns, public sentiment, and police performance data, we provide insights that inform MOPAC’s priorities and policies.
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Drive innovation in policing: We work with the Metropolitan Police and other criminal justice partners to explore cutting-edge tools and technologies that enhance crime prevention, response, and investigation capabilities.
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Promote transparency and accountability: Our team is dedicated to making MOPAC’s work more transparent by producing open data projects, visualisations, and reports that allow the public and policymakers to understand trends and issues in policing.
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Build data literacy: In addition to our internal work, we’re committed to empowering others with the tools and knowledge to engage with data. We provide learning resources, simplified explanations of data science concepts, and open-source code to help our partners and the public engage with the data that drives decision-making in criminal justice.
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Collaborate and share knowledge: Our work is built on collaboration with other public agencies, academic institutions, and the community. By sharing knowledge and best practices, we aim to help others use data to solve critical public safety challenges.
Through these objectives, the Data Science team contributes to making London a safer and fairer city by ensuring that decisions are informed by robust, data-driven insights.
