“Not Science Fiction”: Miami Police Implements Pre-Crime System
April 23rd, 2015Via: Miami Herald:
Armed with high-tech software and years of crime data, Miami police believe they will soon be able to stop crimes by predicting when and where they will occur.
It sounds a little like something out of a science fiction novel, but the department is in the process of adopting a system called HunchLab that produces maps showing small areas where specific crimes are likely to be committed during shifts. The probability program is a geographical version of “predictive policing” software, which more departments are using — even if, in the words of one supportive cop, it’s “kind of scary.”
Similar algorithm-based programs have been credited with lowering crime rates in cities around the country, and some South Florida departments recently have adopted their own systems. In Miami’s case, the department is funding the implementation of HunchLab and other software programs with a $600,000 federal grant doled out by the Bureau of Justice Assistance to encourage smart policing tactics.
Law enforcement appears to schussing the slippery slopes of ethical consideration without even looking over their shoulder… and, once again, Philip K. Dick appears as prescient as ever.
No wonder he often dosed with character mashing chemicals to deal with the visions.
Richmond, Virginia : http://www.economist.com/node/16910031
Fort Lauderdale : http://www.fastcompany.com/3020608/fast-feed/some-florida-police-are-using-data-to-predict-crime
Chicago : http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/19/5419854/the-minority-report-this-computer-predicts-crime-but-is-it-racist
Santa Cruz : http://www.rue89.com/2011/11/13/aux-etats-unis-la-police-prevoit-les-crimes-par-ordinateur-226231