Police test AI prototype for complex environmental crime investigations

KickstartAI and the National Police take the next step with “Al Capone,” an AI tool that helps investigators find legal leads faster

DELFT, 18 June 2026 – KickstartAI and the National Police are starting user tests of an AI prototype that supports investigators in the early research phase of complex environmental crime cases. The prototype, with the working title Al Capone, helps investigators find new legal entry points faster. The name refers to the American gangster who was ultimately convicted not for his most notorious crimes, but for tax evasion. In this project, that reference stands for the search for alternative legal routes when the most visible offence isn’t immediately the easiest to prove.

Complex cases

Environmental crime cases are often complex. They contain large amounts of unstructured information, touch on different areas of law, and require knowledge of legislation, case law, and possible criminal offences beyond the most obvious environmental laws. As a result, relevant legal leads can be difficult to find manually.

The prototype supports investigators in this process. The tool creates a structured summary and determines a search strategy along four predefined legal routes: direct references in the case, core routes within relevant legislation, broader legal leads, and so-called “Al Capone routes,” in which less obvious legal entry points are also explored.

The system then searches through pre-processed legal sources, including Dutch legislation, Dutch case law, EU law, explanatory memoranda and international case law. The tool then ranks potentially relevant laws, rulings and legal angles, so that investigators can assess more quickly which leads may be valuable for the investigation. The final assessment remains with the professionals; the tool is intended as inspiration to enrich their expertise.

The upcoming test phase should clarify where the prototype adds value in practice, where improvement is needed, and what is technically and functionally required to further develop it towards a minimum viable product (MVP). After the user tests, an evaluation and a new development iteration will follow, focused on improving the technology and the user interface. The project will be completed in early August with advice for an MVP, handover, and documentation.

Amir Niknam, Senior Innovation Advisor at the National Police, says: “Environmental crime is often intertwined with other forms of crime and touches on different areas of law. Especially in the early investigative phase, it is important to quickly gain insight into possible legal leads. This test should show whether AI can help investigators stay one step ahead of criminals.”

Erick Webbe, CEO of KickstartAI: “KickstartAI wants to show how AI can work in practice in areas where its societal value is immediately visible. In this project, together with the police, we are exploring how AI can help investigators identify relevant legal leads more quickly in complex cases. That is exactly what applied AI is about: not a smart tool for the sake of it, but an application that supports professionals in their real work and strengthens their expertise.”

More information about the project can be found at:

[https://kickstart.ai/projects/enhancing-environmental-crime-investigations-ai-police-kickstartai]