NYPD Preparing to Implement Crime-Prediction Software
“If you’re thinking Minority Report, that’s not happening,” software producer insists
Mikael Thalen
Prison Planet.com
July 10, 2015
The New York City Police Department is preparing to implement a controversial software program designed to predict when and where crime will occur.
The software, known as “HunchLab,” analyzes everything from local crime statistics to weather patterns in order to provide officers with a detailed map of likely crime hotspots.
According to the NYPD, the software will be used in three precincts for more than two years under a pilot program before police decide whether to roll out the technology department-wide.
“Predictive policing will allow the NYPD to make better data-driven decisions about deployments,” the NYPD said. “The Department has been experimenting with custom-built algorithms that have been shown to be better predictors of crime incidents than traditional hotspot analysis.”
Part of a multi-million dollar technology initiative, the pilot program has already caused concern among civil liberties groups. According to HunchLab’s producer, Azavea CEO Robert Cheetham, fear over the program is unfounded.
“We’re not predicting where crime is going to happen any more than a weather forecaster literally predicts where rain is going to fall,” Cheetham told the Capital. “If you’re thinking Minority Report, that’s not happening.”
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