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

Police and Rich Fat Old Republicans

[gavron]

Here's your AI:
Most crimes are caused by corrupt cops or Republicans who run insurance companies, telephone companies, or branded hotels.

Go arrest them and you'll save the rest of us a lot of time and money, and not have to claim 1960s software has anything to do with AI, crime prediction, a Tom Cruise movie (Minority Report), or the price of tea in China (staying stable, but higher for us being saddled with tariffs because of orange-head.)

It's not like you can PREDICT crime. All you can do is statistically chart where crime occurs. In a Constitutional democracy where one is innocent until proven guilty, and can't be detained and search without 4th Amendment provisions, there's nothing to be done UNTIL the crime is COMMITTED.

E