crime

'Predictive policing' takes byte out of crime

12 Comments

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© 2012 AFP

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Oh great, so now we can look forward to the SWAT team crashing through the window at 2 AM in the morning to the arrested on account of the computer predicting, based on our VISA and Amazon purchase behavior, that we might be prone to committing a crime within days.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Now they can send patrol police to the correct combini store before it's even robbed, hahaha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZyU6po_E74

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sounds like life imitating sci-fi, or out of 1984. Thought Police, anyone?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The Japanese police already use it, but in the opposite way. Instead of the police being able to predict when the crimes will happen, the crims can predict when and where the j-flops will be. They always set up their RBTs and radar traps on the same stretch of road at the same time of the month and people know this.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It's not reading people's minds - it's reading statistical data. It's just that statistical data tend to follow the bell curve, so that allows for good predictions. Ya just gotta figure out how to sort the data. It's not voodoo magic, folks.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

They always set up their RBTs and radar traps on the same stretch of road at the same time of the month and people know this.

In many cases, the local media are directly informed and broadcast this information on a regular basis for their listeners. This includes dates, places and times.

As to this story, as lostrune2 correctly points out, this is not the though police, mind reading or invasions of privacy or anything like that. It is making use of data to prevent crimes from happening. Look at the link. If this is successfully used, it will mean fewer arrests, not more of them.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

@Disillusioned

"The Japanese police already use it, but in the opposite way. Instead of the police being able to predict when the crimes will happen, the crimes can predict when and where the j-flops will be. They always set up their RBTs and radar traps on the same stretch of road at the same time of the month and people know this."

Very Good Post!!!!!!!!

Also the "j-flops" like to come late after the serious crimes, and hardly ever if informed of a "pre-crime."

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This is scary. Having expectations influences behavior and outcomes. If you're convinced a kid is bad, doing bad or going to do bad, and try blaming him whatever happens, you can make him into an actually bad kid. Self-fulfilling prophecy.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Predictive policing" ? The J-stones already do this. They predict only foreigners will steal bicycles, they predict all foreigners are guilty of abuse in child custody disputes with Japanese spouses ... the list goes on and on. I do agree with some of the other posters that this is somewhat scary when you look at the invasion of privacy potential. When you have private companies engaged in this type of work youhave to remember they only have ONE bottom line concern - PROFIT!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This system is not predicting the individual - it's predicting the situation.

Like say, an area tends to get robbed on a hot summer weekend day at around 9pm when the home team is playing, then they know to send a patrol there at such situations.

Reality is a lot more complicated than that, with a lot more variables and factors. It's about sorting all those statistical data that could lead to reliable predictions.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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