On October 11th, the annual Hackathon of the Dutch Police and the Public Prosecutor’s Office took place in Amsterdam, with over 150 participants and guests from Sweden, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Germany, at the Microsoft building near Schiphol. This year, not only was innovation stimulated, but AMBER Alert Europe’s International Cold Case Analysis Project (ICCAP) also received special recognition for its contribution to the Hackathon, earning a special award.
The ICCAP project, the largest international cold case project in the world, is a unique collaboration between police academies and universities under the umbrella of AMBER Alert Europe. Launched in 2020, ICCAP provides young police officers and students with the opportunity to gain practical experience with cold cases, creating a strong link between theory and practice. With 42 organizations, 840 students, and participants from 11 countries, the project works together to solve cold cases and find new leads for families across Europe seeking answers.
Successful Participation in the Dutch Police Hackathon
For the first time, ICCAP student teams from the University of Applied Sciences Mittweida in Germany and Maastricht University in the Netherlands participated in the Hackathon. During the event, 10 teams worked intensively on cases related to cybercrime, missing persons, and unsolved homicides. Several of these cases came directly from the ICCAP database, including three unsolved homicide cases from Germany.
ICCAP Receives Recognition from the Dutch Police
After hours of brainstorming and collaboration, the teams presented their findings in three-minute pitches. A jury of five experts awarded a prize to the team with the most promising results. The awarding of this prestigious prize to one of the teams working on an ICCAP case underscores the project’s innovative approach and the value of international collaboration in solving cold cases.
Significant Breakthrough in Unsolved Cases
One of the highlights for ICCAP during the Hackathon was the breakthrough in a 2016 homicide case involving an unidentified victim. The team working on the ICCAP case developed new investigative leads, including identifying two potential missing persons who might be connected to the case. Additionally, more clarity was obtained about the origin of a golden ring found in the victim’s pocket, providing new leads for the investigation.
The Hackathon participants unanimously praised the event as a great success and expressed their hope for a follow-up in the future. The recognition ICCAP received highlights the importance of the project in solving cold cases and strengthening international cooperation between police and students.
“This recognition from the Dutch Police is a fantastic affirmation of the work we are doing”, says ICCAP Course Leader Karsten Bettels from AMBER Alert Europe. “ICCAP is not just a project – it is a collaboration that transcends borders to help families find answers and give them new hope.”
