LAPD Using Algorithms to Predict Property Crimes
Test neighborhood shows 25% drop in burglary
The inputs are straightforward: previous crime reports, which include the time and location of a crime.
The software is informed by sociological studies of criminal behavior, which include the insight that burglars often ply the same area. The system produces, for each patrol shift, printed maps speckled with red boxes, 500 feet on each side, suggesting where property crimes—specifically, burglaries and car break-ins and thefts—are statistically more likely to happen.
Patterns detected over a period of several years—as well as recent clusters—figure in the algorithm, and the boxes are recalibrated for each patrol shift based on the timeliest data.
(via L.A. Cops Embrace Crime-Predicting Algorithm - Technology Review)
