New Crime-Predicting Algorithm Borrows From Apollo Space Mission Tech (digitaltrends.com)

Researchers from Georgia Tech and the UK's University of Surrey have developed a new predictive policing algorithm that aims to better manage police resources and gain an upper hand in the war on crime. It reportedly uses technology that's been previously used in weather forecasting and the Apollo space missions. Digital Trends reports: The new algorithm built on previous work carried out by researchers from the University of California and police forces in both the U.S. and U.K. Their 2015 research showed how a predictive policing algorithm could accurately predict between 1.4 and 2.2 times more urban crime than specialist crime analysts. By making recommendations about where to patrol, the algorithm led to a 7.4 percent reduction in crime. However, while effective, this approach has also been criticized due to concerns about possible racial profiling and the underreporting of crime. The new algorithm has so far been demonstrated on a data set of more than 1,000 violent gang crimes in Los Angeles carried out between 1999 and 2002. Early conclusions suggest that the upgraded predictive tool could prove superior for coping with the constantly fluctuating world of real-time crime prediction. The researchers published their paper in the journal Computational Statistics & Data Analysis.

Comments

Re:If they can predict it 3 or 4 days in advance

[TheGratefulNet]

its not a cop's job to stop or prevent crime. hell, they are not even there to 'serve and protect'. all that is now BS and the supremes have even said that they have no duty to protect you. they are there, to clean up, mostly, after the fact.

it would be GREAT if they really were, officially, here to serve and protect. we need that. but what they are now is the city's biggest gang (for any given city) and they can get away with almost anything.

I don't want the cops to be more powerful. I want them to be LESS powerful and LESS 'effective'. that way, more lives will be saved (not kidding).