Big Data is essential in today$$s world for several reasons; providing insights that inform business, social awareness, and environmental decisions $($Eastin$,$ Brinson, Doorey & Wilcox, $2016).$ It refers to the large and complex sets of data that are difficult to process and analyse using traditional data processing tools and is characterized by its volume, velocity, variety, veracity and value $($Moreno$,$ Serrano, & Fern$$ndez$-$Medina, $2016).$ Big Data is generated from various sources including social media posts, the Internet of Things, app usage and$/$or location data on mobile devices and transactional databases. These various kinds of information are then processed using advanced tools, techniques and algorithms for pattern recognition and prediction. Through gathering vast amounts of information from various sources such as online activities and using advanced analytics to identify patterns, preferences, and habits, IT professionals can make informed decisions, drive innovation, manage risks, enhance experiences and create a better future. These analytic activities however, are not without concerns regarding privacy, transparency and data security.

Big Data is not all that big, especially when it comes on to our privacy. It impacts an individual privacy in many ways because it enables mass surveillance through monitoring individual activities and behaviors $($Puri & Haritha, $2016).$ The information on an individual is collected and aggregated from multiple sources and is shared often without explicit consent from the affected individuals $($us all$).$ There is lack of transparency in that an individual may not know what data is being collected, how it is being used and who has access to these bits of sensitive behavorial information. A survey of the legislative digital landscape reveals that existing regulations may not adequately protect individual privacy. The safest options for privacy in this Big Data are awareness of data collection and usage practices or simply, adopting internet abstinence$.$ However, in all this Big Data continue to serve as a useful digital tool for several organizations $($e$-$commence, health, researchers seeking to gain a competitive edge and one such is law enforcement.

From the gamut of community engagement through to emergency response, Big Data holds great potential for law enforcement $($Moses & Chan, $2014).$ Big Data can help law enforcement to gauge their understanding of a community$$s needs and concerns as well as determine resource allocation thus optimizing deployment and targeting high$-$risk areas. There are benefits relating to analyzing and identifying evidentiary materials and their connections to individuals. In relation to suspect identification, by using technologies such as facial recognition and license plate readers, Big Data has served quite beneficial, helping to mitigate risks to police officers responding to emergency calls. Overall, Big Data can aid law enforcement in preventing crimes, solving crimes more efficiently, improving, as well as optimizing resources allocation and enhancing officer safety $($Belmon$,$ Kozik & Demestichas, $2021).$ It is a Big Data era and one just has to stay mindful that every finger$-$clicking bit whether on their mobile device or otherwise all add up to the petabytes or exabytes that can be exploited by e$-$commerce companies, government agencies, telecommunication companies, financial institutions, cloud service providers and social media platforms among others, please provide a response