The Hellenic Police actively participates in the implementation of the research project CLARUS (Building clarity and preventing bias in digital forensic examination, interorganisational communication, and interaction), funded by the “Horizon 2022” program.
The project began on November 1, 2023, and will last for 36 months. It involves a total of 6 Academic Research organizations, 4 Forensic Services, and 3 Law Enforcement Agencies (including the Hellenic Police) from 6 European Member States and Associated countries, with KENTRO MELETON ASFALEIAS (KEMEA) acting as the coordinator.
The CLARUS research project examines how communication, habitual modes of operation, organizational cultures, specialization backgrounds, or even gender and specific languages can significantly contribute to a framework of biased judgments and erroneous decisions at an organizational level during the examination and investigation of digital evidence.
This is achieved through the active involvement of end users in the co-production of:
- A map of ambiguous information flows and points of miscommunication.
- A report on potential sources of misunderstandings, errors, and biases stemming from organizational cultures, terminologies, and communication standards.
- A common multilingual reference dictionary.
- A bias-checking tool to enhance the quality, impartiality, and reliability of digital forensics.
Through these deliverables, CLARUS aims to generate new knowledge on issues of communication, language, and vocabulary both within and across borders in Europe in the field of forensic digital evidence. It seeks to highlight risk areas for the execution of impartial forensic processes.
By identifying the organizational framework for bias and errors in informal and formal inter-agency communication methods and implementing a shared vocabulary and bias-checking tool, CLARUS envisions improving objectivity, neutrality, and impartiality in pursuit of safer justice decisions in serious crime cases (such as those involving terrorist organizations) where digital technologies are utilized. This will enhance communication, increase efficiency, and build trust among citizens, police services, forensic science, and courts, leading to:
“Improved forensics and lawful collection of evidence, increasing the capacity to solve and prosecute criminals and terrorists in court.”.
For more information about the CLARUS project:
“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”
