  Traditionally the integration of data from multiple sources is done on an
ad-hoc basis for each analysis scenario and application. This is a solution
that is inflexible, incurs in high costs, leads to "silos" that prevent sharing
data across different agencies or tasks, and is unable to cope with the modern
environment, where workflows, tasks, and priorities frequently change.
Operating within the Data to Decision Cooperative Research Centre (D2D CRC),
the authors are currently involved in the Integrated Law Enforcement Project,
which has the goal of developing a federated data platform that will enable the
execution of integrated analytics on data accessed from different external and
internal sources, thereby providing effective support to an investigator or
analyst working to evaluate evidence and manage lines of inquiries in the
investigation. Technical solutions should also operate ethically, in compliance
with the law, and subject to good governance principles.
