Justice
To Prevent Crime, Walk the Dog on At-Risk Blocks
The LAPD plans to release maps showing where future crime is most likely to happen, in hopes that residents will help stop it.
Last summer, the press began reporting on a new law enforcement tactic, "predictive policing." A computer program analyzes all crime that occurs in an area and produces a map with boxes drawn around blocks where future crime is most likely.
"Cops working with predictive systems respond to call-outs as usual, but when they are free, they return to the spots which the computer suggests," The Economist noted. "Officers may talk to locals or report problems, like broken lights or unsecured properties, that could encourage crime." The tactic coincided with a 12 percent reduction in property crime in one Los Angeles neighborhood.