A university has created a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool to help police track knives and find out where they came from.
The tool, called Knife Hunter, was developed by Surrey University’s Institute for People-Centred AI in partnership with the Metropolitan Police. It helps officers record and analyze knives that are found or seized, making it easier to spot crime patterns and improve safety.
The university says this is a big step forward in making streets safer. The system has already been tested as part of Operation Spectre, a police effort to reduce knife crime.
Professor Miroslaw Bober, the lead researcher, hopes the system will be used by police across the country.
“For three years, we have worked with the Metropolitan Police to create a tool that could change the way knife crime is tackled,” he said. “Knife Hunter will help police find out where weapons come from and keep communities safer.”
Between June 2023 and June 2024, over 50,000 knife crimes were recorded in England and Wales, a 4% increase from the previous year.
Knife Hunter has learned from 25,000 images of 550 different knives, making it able to recognize small details no matter the lighting or camera angle.
Professor Adrian Hilton, director of the Institute, said: “This AI technology is arriving at the right time. It shows how AI can improve lives and make communities safer.”
Source: bbc
