In early August of 2011, England experienced a wave of riots that shocked the country and cost millions of pounds worth in property damage and looted goods. Rioters showed no regard for the rule of law as they ransacked shops and torched cars and buildings in numerous boroughs. The surprisingly violent riots challenged law enforcement’s ability to maintain situational awareness, and the wide spread nature of the riots have since left journalists, researchers, and politicians with the task of explaining the root causes of the riots.

In this demonstration, Team Praescient utilizes the Palantir analytic platform to showcase geospatial and temporal elements of 388 riot incidents and 976 alleged rioters throughout England. Utilizing Kapow software, analysts explore an exhaustive database based entirely on open-source, public information from reputable sources including the Guardian and BBC.