Development of and Concerns Regarding Predictive Policing Practices

Abstract

Predictive policing is the application of analytical software to identify likely targets for police intervention and prevent crime. The last 8–10 years has brought the application of analytical tools and artificial intelligence to enable such predictions based on large sets of data. Proponents of predictive policing say that it better processes information without human bias, preventing police officers’ acting out of prejudice, or even distraction, in order to allocate police resources more efficiently and equitably. However, there is no widespread evidence that the initiatives improve community safety, and numerous advocacy groups and legal challenges have called attention to the dangers of predictive policing in terms of reproduction of biases, civil rights violations, and lack of transparency.