How Law Enforcement Can Speed Up Investigations

In the high-stakes world of law enforcement, speed and efficiency are paramount when the clock is ticking. During investigations, traditional methods of searching public records for information on a suspect or known criminal can be incredibly time-consuming. Manual information-gathering processes can divert valuable resources away from active investigations, adding layers of frustration as officers attempt to piece together vast amounts of data from various sources.

The double-edged sword is we live in a world where people leave large digital footprints. While we have greater access to data today than ever before, the trick is swiftly getting to the right intelligence to build more robust profiles of subjects. Here, a database containing millions of records affords the ability to search one place for relevant information — and connect it in ways that otherwise might have gone unnoticed.

How can police quickly get updated information on suspects?

With a single, searchable report, what would manually take days, weeks or even months to collect and understand relevant data — can now be done in seconds. Armed with answers you can trust, you can explore more deeply, narrow searches to the fewest possible options and eliminate dead ends.

Moreover, fresh data better helps ensure subjects don’t slip through the cracks due to incomplete, inaccurate or outdated information. Instead, by using real-time data, which is critical in fast-moving investigations, hard-to-find subjects are more likely to be located on the first try.

Real-time incarcerations and arrest records

Knowing if a suspect has been recently arrested, incarcerated or released from jail can shape the direction of an investigation. Searching through multiple law enforcement databases or visiting various jurisdictions to piece together relevant criminal records is no longer necessary when using a more unified database of information. Instead, a subject’s criminal history — including booking information, type of offense, booking agency, holding facility, location of jail, time and date of arrest — is readily available.

Uncover hidden relationships and patterns

A detailed information database can help law enforcement uncover a suspect’s hidden relationships with relatives, assets, businesses, properties and places of employment. This helps cut investigation time and often reveals clues which might have been missed that could be key to solving complex cases.

Real-time data — such as a suspect’s background and aliases — quickly provides a detailed history to help pinpoint the subject’s likely location if it’s needed, and more efficiently tackle the case.

Social media provides clues about criminals and suspects under investigation

An often-overlooked source of data that can be leveraged in investigations is social media. Tapping into the vast networks and real-time communications on these platforms — such as Facebook, Instagram, X and blogs — shows a suspect’s posting activity, pictures, previous locations and potentially the discovery of new persons of interest.

How TLOxp can help law enforcement solve crimes faster

TransUnion® TLOxp®, part of the TruLookup™ suite of solutions, is the proven search and locate tool for agencies of all sizes — across state, local and federal jurisdictions. Data is provided in easy-to-read and understandable formats, enabling law enforcement teams to analyze and identify patterns not immediately apparent. The ability to intelligently connect the dots is powered by advanced analytics tools that sift through vast amounts of data and correlate information. Police can more quickly verify a subject’s identity using concrete data to dig deeper — finding the evidence needed to promote case breakthroughs, more effectively pursue leads and make arrests.

TLOxp features versatile investigative tools and has records from 10,000 sources and data on 95% of the US population. Whether it’s through our intuitive, web-based application or our batch processing and API solutions, turn to TLOxp to achieve more economical, effective and timely results. Set the desired search criteria, and TLOxp delivers powerful information to uncover new leads and resolve cases faster.

Watch this video to learn more.