"Police in London have tested software designed to identify which gang members are most likely to commit violent crimes. The 20-week pilot study is thought to have been the first of its kind in the UK, although similar experiments have been carried out elsewhere. It used five years worth of historic data, but the idea would be to analyse up-to-date details if it is deployed. Civil liberty campaigners have voiced concerns. But Accenture - the firm that developed the software - highlighted the potential benefit it offered. "You've got limited police resources and you need to target them efficiently," said Muz Janoowalla, head of public safety analytics at the company. "What this does is tell you who are the highest risk individuals that you should target your limited resources against."" - urbansheep@gmail.com