Police Beat: Predicting Crimes

Comments

Dude, CBS News had this story TWO YEARS ago...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/lapd-compute…

SuperSteve on April 29, 2014 at 7:59 AM

So bank robbers figured out generations ago what to rob and why. Did the cops have a "team-building" exercise to come up with this gem?

Fewer drones, more beats.

rob! on April 29, 2014 at 7:59 AM

Do Seattle cops ever get out of their cars?

DOUG. on April 29, 2014 at 8:18 AM

Nice scoop, Charles. The use of statistics and data analytics only goes back something like 40 years. And while predictive algorithms and machine-learning strategies are becoming more sophisticated; they still reflect only probabilities, not absolutes.

You want something to be scared about? Take a look at this:

Klarreich, E. (2014). "Reading Brains." …

Mr. Happy Sunshine on April 29, 2014 at 9:12 AM

@4 Shit. If you were watching TV way back then, you probably saw the ad IBM was running about this very thing since May 1, 2012.

adforum.com/
search/creative-work/
title/Predictive%20Police

Brand: IBM
Media: Television
Country: United States
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
Campaign: Smarter Planet
Broadcast/Published: May 1, 2012

on April 29, 2014 at 9:49 AM

Pretty sure the commonly used term is "predictive policing."

bigyaz on April 29, 2014 at 10:58 AM

Predictive Policing = Big Cop Data.

I would not be surprised if we get to pre-emptive arrests someday, even in my lifetime.

treacle on April 29, 2014 at 11:51 AM

"What's all this talk about predicted policing? I mean, are you gonna predict where you're going to patrol? Who's making these predictions anyway?"

"Uh, Charles, the term is 'PREDICTIVE policing.'"

"Oh...NEVERMIND!"

bigyaz on April 29, 2014 at 12:48 PM