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Police Program Aims to Pinpoint Those Most Likely to Commit Crimes

An anonymous reader writes: Using profiling algorithms, police are tracking suspected criminals to prevent them from committing predicted crimes. We're one step from locking people up for what they might do. The New York Times reports: "The strategy, known as predictive policing, combines elements of traditional policing, like increased attention to crime “hot spots” and close monitoring of recent parolees. But it often also uses other data, including information about friendships, social media activity and drug use, to identify “hot people” and aid the authorities in forecasting crime."

2 of 244 comments (clear)

  1. Minority report. by sims+2 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've already seen this movie, And I think its a tv series now too.

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    Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
  2. Great idea! by dirk · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think this sounds like a wonderful idea. I propose as a test that we use it on police departments to try and determine those officers that are most likely to abuse citizens. If it is successful in dropping those number significantly then we can talk about maybe trying it out on citizens.

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    "Information wants to be expensive" - Stewart Brand, the same guy who said "Information wants to be free"