ArcGIS Pro Intelligence

Combating Human Trafficking with ArcGIS Pro Intelligence

Analyzing tracks in a place of interest using ArcGIS Pro Intelligence.
Analyzing tracks in a place of interest using ArcGIS Pro Intelligence.

ArcGIS Pro Intelligence is intelligence analysis software built for intelligence analysts working in the military and in civilian intelligence agencies, law enforcement, and the private sector. Use link analysis, 2D and 3D maps, timelines, imagery exploitation, and graphs to uncover patterns, trends, and relationships in data to inform decision-making. ArcGIS Pro Intelligence scales to meet your mission whether you need to conduct movement analysis, understand patterns of life, or perform investigative analysis. ArcGIS Pro Intelligence is interoperable and extensible, supporting your data integration strategy across multiple domains in connected, disconnected, and air gapped networks.

The Problem

Countering human trafficking operations are carried out by federal, state, and local law enforcement regularly to disrupt the actions of those who would prey on the vulnerable. Using ArcGIS Pro Intelligence analysts can assist in identifying areas law enforcement should focus their efforts on. To proverbially find the needle in the haystack, law enforcement and other stakeholders often work overtime to identify areas where human trafficking victims and their abusers may be. ArcGIS Pro Intelligence can assist in cutting the haystack in half.

The Workflow

The first step in combatting human trafficking is understanding where possible victims and their traffickers are, not only in space, but also in time. The timeline tool is able to parse out individuals into separate timelines so they can be compared across space and time. Using a quick selection inside of the timeline we can highlight the overlap of two individuals of interest. The timeline selects the record in the timeline but also selects the record in space on the map view.

Highlight individuals and places of interest using the Timeline tool and Map in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence.
Highlight individuals and places of interest using the Timeline tool and Map in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence.

Now that we have highlighted an area these two individuals both traveled to on September 19, 2020, we can begin to use anonymized track data to highlight possible meeting locations using the Find Meeting Locations tool.

Highlight possible meeting locations using the Find Meeting Locations tool in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence.
Highlight possible meeting locations using the Find Meeting Locations tool in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence.

Adding the track data shows a few different tracks for a few different individuals of potential interest. Using the Find Meeting Locations geoprocessing tool, we can pass specific parameters to identify if any of these individuals have met for at least 30 minutes within 100 meters of each other. This will return a polygon feature class and point feature class highlighting any area these individuals have met in for the specified amount of time and within the specified distance.

Set parameters to locate individuals using the Find Meeting Locations geoprocessing tool in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence.
Set parameters to locate individuals using the Find Meeting Locations geoprocessing tool in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence.

After running the tool, the results clearly show two individuals met in this motel for at least 30 minutes and were within 100 meters of each other. There is still required work by law enforcement to launch operations to investigate the possibility of human trafficking, but we have narrowed their focus to this specific area so they can concentrate their resources effectively.

With the Find Meeting Locations geoprocessing tool in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence we are able to narrow down a place of interest for investigation.
With the Find Meeting Locations geoprocessing tool in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence we are able to narrow down a place of interest for investigation.

ArcGIS Pro Intelligence assists law enforcement in deploying their resources effectively and with focus. In addition to the enforcement side, ArcGIS Pro Intelligence can also be used to assist prosecutors in building a case against specific individuals who are suspected of participating in human trafficking. Using historical track data and the tools available in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence any arm of Law & Order can use geospatial data to assist and rescue victims from human trafficking situations.

To learn more about ArcGIS Pro Intelligence, or to contact sales, visit go.esri.com/arcgis-pro-intelligence. To view other articles like this, videos, and training, visit go.esri.com/arcigis-pro-intelligence/resources.

About the authors

Stuart Penninger is a solution engineer at Esri who enjoys making maps, sharing the benefits of spatial analysis, and using GIS is new and unique ways.

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David received a BA in Geography from The University of Texas at Dallas, an MS in Geographical Information Systems from The University of Texas at Dallas, and his PhD in Earth Systems and Geoinformation Science from George Mason University.

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Lauren Lipovic is a Lead Product Marketing Manager at Esri. Lauren joined the Product Marketing team after spending four years on Esri’s Global Business Development team, where she led the development of the company’s digital sales and public policy practices. Her 10 years of experience spans across strategic planning, policymaking, and business development in government, NGO, and software industries. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and industry news on the topics of economics, government data, and innovation. Lauren holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in economics and policy analysis from DePaul University. Lauren is passionate about supporting Esri customers solve problems with geospatial technologies and solutions.

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Albert is an Associate Product Marketing Manager at Esri. He spent three years at Esri in Digital Sales. Albert earned his Bachelor's degree in Environmental Biology at Cal Poly Pomona.

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